CANNABIS FOR CHRONIC PAIN BY DR. DEBRA KIMLESS Chronic pain is difficult. The sufferer endeavors to live a normal life but is impeded by pain. It is difficult for their friends and family because they feel powerless, wanting their loved one to feel better and to be an active participant in life. It is just as difficult for their treating physician or health care provider as the current effective FDA approved treatment options are limited. Traditional therapies are a balancing act of risk versus benefit. We are all very well aware of the opioid epidemic. We are all aware that opioids aren’t FDA approved for chronic pain. But, opioids are still used for chronic pain and to the great peril of patients and their families and friends. Physicians and patients are left with a paucity of options. One such option is the off-label use of prescription medications (technically not FDA approved for the indication of pain) that come with many serious side effects and with unreliable efficacy. Another is the overuse of over-the-counter pain relief medications. Even though they do not require a prescription, these medications also have the risk of serious side effects-like heart attack or stroke. So, what is left? The answer everyone wants to read is that cannabis is the panacea. Yes, cannabis can be used as a pain reliever, which I will describe shortly. However, nothing is a panacea. Nor should cannabis be the sole treatment. Patients complain they hate it when physicians just throw pills at them. Patients tell me that they hate feeling like a victim. If that is the case, why should patients want cannabis thrown at them? They shouldn’t.
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