Cannabis can help to treat pain through its two main cannabinoid compounds found in the cannabis flower, THC and CBD. They do this, both separately and together, by acting on the CB-1 and CB-2 receptors in the central nervous system. These receptors can influence and partly regulated the feelings of pain in the four primary pain models, which include acute, chronic, neuropathic and cancer pain. Besides THC and CBD, other compounds like CBC and the terpenes Linalool and Myrcene also seem to have pain-relieving properties and help each other to enhance their ability to reduce pain through the Entourage Effect
To put it simply, pain is an unpleasant and uncomfortable sensation that tells you that there is something wrong with your body. For most people, pain is something that comes and goes, but for others, chronic pain can bring long-term misery and suffering to their lives.
While conventional treatments like prescription drugs and opioids prove somewhat useful for some, they also carry a whole host of potential side-effects. These treatments can cause life-threatening side effects like higher risks of kidney damage, heart attacks, and substance abuse. If you compare this to cannabis and CBD (an acclaimed cannabis derivative), you won’t have to worry about any severe side-effects or potential substance abuse.
And with many anecdotal users reporting that using cannabis and its derivatives can help to relieve pain significantly, the interest and acceptance of marijuana as a pain medication has dramatically piqued in recent years.
Cannabis plants contain several compounds including the cannabinoids THC and CBD. These cannabinoids found in cannabis have anti-inflammatory properties that are thought to be highly effective in reducing pain. The presence of terpenes, including caryophyllene, myrcene and pinene, are also found within the cannabis plant and are said to aid its wonderful potential healing capabilities.
With this powerful combination, cannabis and their derivatives have the potential to minimise the most common pain symptoms for pain sufferers such as inflammation, muscle spasms, non-migraine headaches, joint pain, and neuropathy.
Various pieces of research have been conducted to explore the potential of medical marijuana for reducing pain and increasingly have found promising results. With the UK now joining the list of countries to commit to more in-depth studies on the efficacy of medical cannabis, it seems like cannabis as a treatment for pain (and other conditions) is here to stay.
As per a 2016 study when experts subjected animal models to CBD, there was a remarkable reduction in inflammation and overall pain intensity. In the same year, another research paper published highlighted the efficacy of using marijuana for cancer pain. Not only did the compound help to improve the overall quality of life, but it also led to a 64 per cent reduction in opioid use.
Another study analysed 17,000 patients who were suffering from cancer. After prescribing them with medical cannabis, it concluded that 70% had shown a reduction in pain along with improvement in their overall health condition.
There are several highly efficient medicinal cannabis strains for; however, if you are specifically looking to reduce pain symptoms, it is important to focus on the overall cannabinoid and terpene profile of a particular strain. While you can use specific derivatives like CBD oils individually for pain management, when using the whole plant, the potency of every compound is amplified under the Entourage Effect.
For those of you looking for the best cannabis strains for chronic pain, we have picked out three that are considered to be the most effective as alternative pain medications.
ACDC is a sativa-dominant phenotype of the high in CBD strain Cannatonic that boasts a remarkably high CBD to THC ratio
This calming medicinal strain is used to relieve pain and anxiety and is considered an ideal choice for those suffering from chronic pain. With as much as 20% CBD (considerably more than the average level of just 0.05 per cent), this strain for pain relief is ideal for those looking for fewer psychoactive effects. Recreational users should give this strain a miss though with a THC content averaging at less than 6%, it is unlikely to offer much in the way of psychoactive effects.
ACDC also boasts an impressive terpene profile. Caryophyllene, myrcene, linalool, pinene and limonene synergise to help reduce pain and inflammation while also adding to this strains earthy yet fruity flavour. Myrcene, pinene, and caryophyllene are the terpenes said to be responsible for aiding the sense of relaxation and happiness experienced by ACDC consumers. This top strain for pain relief has a distinctively sweet and fruity taste.
One of the most famous cannabis strains known across the globe, Northern Lights is a pure indica that descents from the Afghani and Thai landrace cannabis plants. Northern Lights is a THC dominant strain (averaging around 16%) that promotes a feeling of relaxation and wellbeing in the user. The traces of CBD though are minimal, at less than 1%.
The famed Northern Lights is a parent to several strains including wonderful hybrids like Super Silver Haze and Shiva Skunk.
This strains terpene profile includes myrcene, caryophyllene, and limonene and is said to be responsible for some of the calming effects of Northern Lights. With its pungently sweet and spicy aroma, this legend acts as a relaxing catalyst that also induces some mild euphoria. With its classic skunky and earthy flavour, many medical cannabis users enjoy Northern lights for both its aromatic scent and particularly effective pain-reducing ability.
An amazing crossing of Blueberry and White Widow, Blue Widow is sativa dominant strain that is proving to be a particularly useful pain reducer.
Blue Widow has inherited its stress and pain-relieving properties from its parent strain, White Widow, with its terpene profile boasting myrcene, caryophyllene and limonene. As such, Blue Widow offers pain-relieving potential as well as a unique flavour, presenting a bitter almost diesel-like sour taste with hints of Blueberry.
At 17%, Blue Widow is a reasonably high THC strain while the CBD count is negligible, at less than 1%. As such, it is thought that Blue Widow can help alleviate symptoms related to pain, loss of appetite, and insomnia.
The buds of this strain, with purple and blue tints and a coating of long orange hair, make Blue Widow particularly distinctive. And with its delightful flavour and calming effect, Blue Widow is favoured by both recreational and medical users alike.
If you are one of the many who are suffering from chronic pain, and you are interested in buying cannabis seeds that could help reduce your suffering, please visit our growing community for more information on our vast selection of cannabis seeds. We have a wide range of autoflowering seeds, feminised seeds, CBD seeds, high CBD strains, CBD oils and much more to choose from.
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