Cannabis is Most Effective Medicine
Medicinal cannabis just received a big support boost in a recent study published by Canadian scientists. Led by Thomas Kerr, Julio Montaner, and Stephanie Lake, the study claims that cannabis is a more effective and safer medicine than opioid painkillers.
“The evidence supporting the therapeutic use of cannabis is much stronger than it is for other drugs,” Kerr says. “It also seems, in many cases, that cannabis has a more favorable side-effect profile.”
As debates regarding the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis continue, this latest study provides a powerful piece of supporting evidence.
The study references cannabis as an effective drug for treating a variety of medical issues including neuropathic pain, conditions associated with HIV/AIDS, nausea from chemotherapy, chronic pain, amongst others.
Kerr notes that while opioids such as oxycodone, hydromorphone, and morphine are some of the most frequently prescribed painkillers in North America, they are not nearly as effective or safe as cannabis.
“North America is in the midst of a public-health crisis relating to opioid-related deaths,” says Kerr. “There is no association between cannabis and mortality.”
In Canada, opioids contribute to nearly half of all overdose deaths in Canada. Comparatively, the states where medical marijuana is legal saw a 25 percent decrease in fatal overdoses.
“When it comes to prescription marijuana, patient needs should be considered above political considerations,” Montaner tells CBC News. “There could be great harm in ignoring the medical benefits of cannabis.”
With this latest piece of support coming from the scientific community, the case for using medical cannabis to treat a variety of health issues is gaining ground.
“If we can enhance access to medicinal cannabis for the right conditions, it may reduce prescription opioid abuse,” says Kerr.
