Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
As Canada struggles to reduce the number of people addicted to and overdosing on opioids, some doctors say cannabis may be part of the solution.
They are finding it can replace or reduce the use of pharmaceutical painkillers.
"Can cannabis be used to help manage patients who are currently taking opioids? Broadly, the answer is yes," says Dr. Alan Bell, a family physician, clinical researcher and professor at the University of Toronto. "Cannabinoids are far safer than opioids, there is no doubt about that. No one has died from a cannabinoid overdose."
Cannabis can be helpful for patients who don't respond to opioids or who can't tolerate their side effects, said Bell. It can help relieve not only pain, but also anxiety or sleep disturbances associated with pain, he said. The Canadian Pain Society guidelines list cannabis as a third option, after patients have tried both non-opioid and opioid drugs, he notes. However, given their safety and effectiveness, in some cases cannabinoids should be considered first, he said.
Medical governing bodies, however, are lukewarm on cannabis because there is limited clinical evidence on its benefits, proper dosages and side effects.
Doctors have been advised to proceed cautiously by the Canadian Medical Association. People suffering from terminal illness or chronic disease, who have not been helped by conventional therapies, "may obtain relief" from medical marijuana, says the CMA says in a statement.
"Despite this recognition, the limited clinical evidence combined with very limited guidance for the therapeutic use of marijuana pose a serious challenge for physicians in providing the best care to patients."
Doctors should be aware that "determining a safe and effective dose for each patient may be challenging," says the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. More research needs to be done, says the CMA, a sentiment echoed by everyone in the field.
Although cannabis had been used for centuries, research has been stifled by the "reefer madness" stigma surrounding it. In the U.S., marijuana is classified as a highly dangerous drug in the same category as heroin and ecstasy, even as half the states have legalized its use for medical purposes.
Cannabis hasn't followed the pattern of pharmaceutical drugs, which undergo clinical trials before they are approved for use. Courts pried open the door to medical marijuana in Canada by repeatedly ruling that patients have the right to reasonable access to it.
"The medical world kind of got left out of it," says Dr. Sana-Ara Ahmed, who began using cannabis about a year ago to help patients with chronic pain and now educates other doctors. "It was told, 'Catch up, figure it out, what is it?'
"It's a very pioneering area because we don't have enough information. But when you see it practised in real life, like I have been, and you are very conscious about educating people and empowering people, you can see the difference in the quality of life people are leading."
Many patients arrive at the clinics she runs in Toronto and Calgary addicted to opioids or other medications, she said, and "have reached a point where nothing else is working for them."
When cannabis is introduced, most of her patients have been able to reduce their use of opioids by about 50 per cent, she said. Cannabis helps patients with anxiety, insomnia and other symptoms that are common among patients who suffer pain, she said.
"The value of that for my patients who have arthritis, who have auto immune issues, multiple sclerosis and even anxiety disorder, has been quite profound.
"Yes, I agree there isn't any (conclusive) evidence," to support its use, said Ahmed. "But I also have common sense."
Cannabis is "a very safe drug to prescribe," she said. "And opioids, the evidence for them isn't very good right now. And the side effects (can be) basically death. So when cannabis comes into the forefront, and I'm not going to kill somebody by giving it to them, I am going to try it, because nothing else works so far.
"I'm of the school of thought of saying, 'I'm willing to try because I advocate for my patients, my patients are my foremost goal I take care of, and I look at side effects. So if the side effect profile is safer than other medications out there, then I'm willing to try it for my patients."
An Ottawa doctor who specializes in pain management says one of his favourite products is cannabis oil high in CBD, a chemical component that helps with pain but does not produce the euphoria associated with the THC in marijuana. His patients are "trying to hold onto their jobs, their families, their kids, despite the handicap of chronic pain. So a product that could help with their pain but didn't cause cognitive impairment, I think, is a big deal."
Cannabis-infused cream is also helpful, said the doctor. He tells of one patient who hurt her back, was incapacitated, lost her job and endured a nagging pain in her ribs. She was taking strong prescription pain killers, but suffering significant side effects. "She was finding it hard to think and function." Cannabis cream applied directly to the her ribs eased the pain.
"The absorption into the bloodstream is minimal, so (patients) don't get cognitive impairment or feeling stoned, but they get pain relief."
The doctor emailed back after the interview, requesting that his name not be used. His lawyer had advised it wasn't wise because the cannabis cream he recommends is only available at illegal dispensaries. Medical marijuana producers licensed by Health Canada are only allowed to sell dried weed and oils.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis May Be Part Of The Solution To The Opioid Crisis, Some Doctors Say
Author: Jacquie Miller
Contact: 416-383-2300
Photo Credit: Charbonneau Commission
Website: Toronto Sun
They are finding it can replace or reduce the use of pharmaceutical painkillers.
"Can cannabis be used to help manage patients who are currently taking opioids? Broadly, the answer is yes," says Dr. Alan Bell, a family physician, clinical researcher and professor at the University of Toronto. "Cannabinoids are far safer than opioids, there is no doubt about that. No one has died from a cannabinoid overdose."
Cannabis can be helpful for patients who don't respond to opioids or who can't tolerate their side effects, said Bell. It can help relieve not only pain, but also anxiety or sleep disturbances associated with pain, he said. The Canadian Pain Society guidelines list cannabis as a third option, after patients have tried both non-opioid and opioid drugs, he notes. However, given their safety and effectiveness, in some cases cannabinoids should be considered first, he said.
Medical governing bodies, however, are lukewarm on cannabis because there is limited clinical evidence on its benefits, proper dosages and side effects.
Doctors have been advised to proceed cautiously by the Canadian Medical Association. People suffering from terminal illness or chronic disease, who have not been helped by conventional therapies, "may obtain relief" from medical marijuana, says the CMA says in a statement.
"Despite this recognition, the limited clinical evidence combined with very limited guidance for the therapeutic use of marijuana pose a serious challenge for physicians in providing the best care to patients."
Doctors should be aware that "determining a safe and effective dose for each patient may be challenging," says the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. More research needs to be done, says the CMA, a sentiment echoed by everyone in the field.
Although cannabis had been used for centuries, research has been stifled by the "reefer madness" stigma surrounding it. In the U.S., marijuana is classified as a highly dangerous drug in the same category as heroin and ecstasy, even as half the states have legalized its use for medical purposes.
Cannabis hasn't followed the pattern of pharmaceutical drugs, which undergo clinical trials before they are approved for use. Courts pried open the door to medical marijuana in Canada by repeatedly ruling that patients have the right to reasonable access to it.
"The medical world kind of got left out of it," says Dr. Sana-Ara Ahmed, who began using cannabis about a year ago to help patients with chronic pain and now educates other doctors. "It was told, 'Catch up, figure it out, what is it?'
"It's a very pioneering area because we don't have enough information. But when you see it practised in real life, like I have been, and you are very conscious about educating people and empowering people, you can see the difference in the quality of life people are leading."
Many patients arrive at the clinics she runs in Toronto and Calgary addicted to opioids or other medications, she said, and "have reached a point where nothing else is working for them."
When cannabis is introduced, most of her patients have been able to reduce their use of opioids by about 50 per cent, she said. Cannabis helps patients with anxiety, insomnia and other symptoms that are common among patients who suffer pain, she said.
"The value of that for my patients who have arthritis, who have auto immune issues, multiple sclerosis and even anxiety disorder, has been quite profound.
"Yes, I agree there isn't any (conclusive) evidence," to support its use, said Ahmed. "But I also have common sense."
Cannabis is "a very safe drug to prescribe," she said. "And opioids, the evidence for them isn't very good right now. And the side effects (can be) basically death. So when cannabis comes into the forefront, and I'm not going to kill somebody by giving it to them, I am going to try it, because nothing else works so far.
"I'm of the school of thought of saying, 'I'm willing to try because I advocate for my patients, my patients are my foremost goal I take care of, and I look at side effects. So if the side effect profile is safer than other medications out there, then I'm willing to try it for my patients."
An Ottawa doctor who specializes in pain management says one of his favourite products is cannabis oil high in CBD, a chemical component that helps with pain but does not produce the euphoria associated with the THC in marijuana. His patients are "trying to hold onto their jobs, their families, their kids, despite the handicap of chronic pain. So a product that could help with their pain but didn't cause cognitive impairment, I think, is a big deal."
Cannabis-infused cream is also helpful, said the doctor. He tells of one patient who hurt her back, was incapacitated, lost her job and endured a nagging pain in her ribs. She was taking strong prescription pain killers, but suffering significant side effects. "She was finding it hard to think and function." Cannabis cream applied directly to the her ribs eased the pain.
"The absorption into the bloodstream is minimal, so (patients) don't get cognitive impairment or feeling stoned, but they get pain relief."
The doctor emailed back after the interview, requesting that his name not be used. His lawyer had advised it wasn't wise because the cannabis cream he recommends is only available at illegal dispensaries. Medical marijuana producers licensed by Health Canada are only allowed to sell dried weed and oils.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis May Be Part Of The Solution To The Opioid Crisis, Some Doctors Say
Author: Jacquie Miller
Contact: 416-383-2300
Photo Credit: Charbonneau Commission
Website: Toronto Sun