Patient Education ►
Patient Education
Treating Arthritis with Cannabis by Peter Kershaw, contributing writer
Tincture
Arthritis is the painful inflammation and stiffness of one or more body joints. The condition can also affect surrounding tissues. Arthritis is a leading cause of disability in America. 1 A 2017 study found that over 54 million adults had some form of arthritis, approximately half of which had activity limitations attributable to arthritis.” 2 Those figures have and will continue increasing as the population ages. Though arthritis is most commonly associated with the elderly, there are approximately 220,000 children in the U. S. who suffer from the disease. 3
Primary symptoms include stiffness, joint pain, and decreased range of motion. These symptoms typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. There are also infectious and metabolic forms of arthritis. There are more than 100 specific types of arthritis, as well as underlying related conditions, such as Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, lupus, and joint injuries. Left untreated, arthritis can result in permanent joint damage. The damage may be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can only be seen via X-ray. Some types of arthritis can also impact the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys, and skin.
Arthritis affects people of all ages, sexes, and races. However, it’ s more common among women than men, and more common among the elderly. Symptoms may come and go( e. g., weather changes) and can range from mild to severe. They may remain relatively unchanged for years or progress and worsen over time. Severe arthritis often results in chronic pain and a limited ability to perform daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of a car.
Arthritis sufferers represent over half of all patients who have, and who continue receiving, prescription opioids. 4 In fact, arthritis sufferers were among the first to find themselves disproportionately on the receiving end( by a factor of two to one over other pain patients) of the opioid crisis, starting in the late 1990s and continuing through 2015( the height of the opioid crisis). To this day, many doctors routinely prescribe opioids for arthritis, despite the evidence that opioids are of little long-term benefit and often cause far more harm than good. 5
Families suffer emotionally from witnessing the assault of arthritis on their aging loved ones, not knowing how to help. They may also fear the potential of facing similar maladies as they too age. Such fears may not be unwarranted, as there appears to be genetic predispositions for some forms of arthritis. 6 Such outcomes, however, aren’ t inevitable. For millions of Americans, medical cannabis is providing arthritic relief, and often dramatically so. Though more research is needed, it may ultimately be proven that cannabis use may serve to prevent the onset of arthritis.
Cannabis for Arthritis
The first medical recommendation of cannabis as an arthritis treatment comes from Shen Nung’ s Chinese Pharmacopeia( 2500 B. C.). 7 Then, in 50 A. D., the Greek physician Dioscorides recommended cannabis in treating a host of maladies, including arthritis. 8 Physicians worldwide relied on Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica well into the 17th century.
Studies have shown that THC reduces arthritic pain, and often dramatically so. 9 Benefits often increase when combined with CBD. Cannabis strains containing both THC and CBD have been shown to reduce cytokine release from the inflammatory cells responsible for tissue deterioration in arthritis. 10 Cannabinoids have been proven to elicit a range of anti-inflammatory responses, but especially THC and CBD. The two, taken together, produce an“ entourage effect,” resulting in a more dramatic reduction in inflammation than when consumed alone. But even when THC alone is administered, studies have proven it to be twice as effective an antiinflammatory as hydrocortisone.
Arthritis patients are commonly prescribed opioids and or NSAIDs( nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Cannabis can augment or even replace such drugs entirely. When combining cannabis with opioids and / or NSAIDs, the added benefit is quite often so pronounced that the patient can reduce their drug dosage, potentially even ultimately discontinuing it altogether in favor of consuming cannabis alone. However, withdrawing from such drugs should first be discussed with a competent physician.
Methods of Ingestion / Application
Arthritis sufferers may require long-lasting relief from inflammation and / or pain. In such cases, oral consumption of cannabis( so-called“ edibles”) may prove ideal. The effect of edibles lasts hours longer than other consumption methods. However, because edibles are first processed by the liver, oral consumption takes an hour or more to feel the benefits. This makes titration challenging
18 JULY 2026