Pain & Cannabis
If you suffer from chronic pain, you know how bad it can be, how it influences your social life and your career, and that it is an attack on the joy you experience in life in general. Most people are not that happy with their medication and experience a lot of side effects like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, anaemia, headache and oedema. Instead of taking more medication against the pain or the side effects, would it be possible to take a step back and see if the magical plant that has been used for about 5000 as a medicine can make life easier? Yes, over thousands of years cannabis has been used as a medicine. Chinese Emperor Shen Nung even documented the effects of cannabis on malaria and arthritis in about 2800 B.C. An Egyptian papyrus from about 1500 B.C. makes mention of cannabis as a valuable way to treat inflammation. Only about 100 years ago the process of criminalisation started to prevent recreational use.
How does cannabis work?
First, it is important to know that not all cannabis is the same. The cannabis plant contains about 540 chemical substances. We will discuss the effects of the most well-known substances CBD and THC (the normal and the medical version) and the lesser-known versions, HHC & PROHHC. It is possible to apply it locally with a cream or oil, to take it orally (tincture, edible or drink) or to smoke it (vape or cigarette)
CBD stands for Cannabidiol (CBD), an active ingredient in cannabis that is derived from the hemp plant, but it does not cause a high. CBD is legal to use and has a mild effect as a pain reliever. Recent studies suggest that it helps to boost your immune system, and works against inflammation and even a lot of doctors recommend it.has a direct effect on the pain receptors in the body and could benefit a lot of patients with arthritis, especially combined with CBD, but there are some negative aspects.
THC is the part of the cannabis plant that is associated with blowing and coffee shops. Every country has it’s own regulations now, but soon all products that are sold on the European market can only contain 0.3% THC otherwise they are considered illegal. You won be able to travel with it and you will fail drug tests. Most people feel tired and lazy when they use it, which can be quite nice sometimes, but not on a daily base.
Medicinal THC can be prescribed by your doctor. It contains a low dose of THC and often you are able to travel with it when you have a medical attestation. The medical THC, just like the normal THC will make you feel tired and lazy. It doesn’t provide as much pain because of the lower THC levels. Because the growers want a consistent product, a lot of pesticides and gamma irradiation is used.
HHC & PROHHC The component HHC is a less-known and rare part of the cannabis plant and is 100% legal in Europe. On a molecular level, it is very close to THC. HHC is basically THC with 2 extra water molecules and has the tendency to change back into THC. PROHHC is the next step after HHC. The best and most active HHC components are selected and stabilised so it is a consistent product. Basically, the working of THC and PROHHC are the same, the only difference is that the effects of the PROHHC last longer and users will feel less tired and lazy. Because HHC and PROHHC are such new products, there hasn’t been a lot of research yet. However, the first results are that the effects as pain relief are comparable to morphine.
Cannabis and other drugs:
Always consults with your doctor before using a product made of cannabis. Cannabinoids kan inhibits your liver enzymes which makes your liver break down certain other drugs faster or slower. Especially the working of Antidepressants (such as fluoxetine, or Prozac), Macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin, clarithromycin) and Heart medications (some calcium channel blockers) are affected.
Links to relevant articles: