The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Workforce
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Cannabis in Rheumatology Care: A Look at the Latest Research & What Rheumatologists Are Telling Their Patients

Cannabis in Rheumatology Care: A Look at the Latest Research & What Rheumatologists Are Telling Their Patients

March 26, 2018 • By Carina Stanton

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

“Can marijuana help me?”

You Might Also Like
  • Medical Cannabis Helps Chronic Pain Patients Cut Opioid Use
  • Medical Marijuana Use by Rheumatology Patients Needs Closer Look
  • Little Evidence Shows Cannabis Helps Chronic Pain or PTSD
Explore This Issue
April 2018
Also By This Author
  • Providers & Patients Talk to Legislators about Telehealth, Workforce Shortage

Barbara Goldstein, MD, MMSc, hears this question from patients throughout the day, every day. And she has noticed an increase in the number of patients asking it since 2014, when marijuana was legalized for anyone over the age of 21 to purchase in Colorado.1 Her answer is the same for each patient: “We just don’t have enough reliable data to suggest cannabinoid use for patients.”

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Dr. Goldstein worries that inhaled cannabis poses an antigen risk to the lungs and that cannabis edibles vary dramatically in dosing and the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content responsible for its mind-altering effects. “Topicals may be safe and effective, but we just don’t have clinical trials and reliable preparations. I tell my patients all of this and that they have to use it at their own risk.

“What we need are trials that are conducted using scientific methods, are hypothesis driven and [use a] placebo or comparator product,” she suggests. “Then we can review the information and decide how clinically relevant and generalizable [medicinal cannabis] really is.”

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Some rheumatologists are taking a different approach. Jeff Peterson, MD, also shares his hope for clinical data on cannabis applications for patients with rheumatic diseases.

With this lack of data and faced with daily requests from patients about incorporating cannabis into their treatment, Dr. Peterson took a trip to a local, high-end pot shop in Washington, where marijuana become legal to sell in 2014.2 His goal was to understand what his patients were hearing from marijuana retailers. He learned how this retailer talks to customers about some of the common chemical compounds in recreational marijuana, including THC vs. cannabidiol (CBD), and received an education on different forms of marijuana, including edibles, tinctures and topical creams and ointments.

Dr. Peterson has also learned anecdotally about the perceived efficacy of marijuana from patients choosing to try it in different forms. The majority of his patients who use cannabis choose the topical cream or ointment to manage pain and find it helpful. But they note that the preparation—the dose and combination of THC/CBD—does make a difference. His patients who use a tincture form that is placed on the tongue report that it is effective for moderate relief of insomnia and anxiety, particularly among his patients with fibromyalgia. But these patients also note a difference with the dose and combination of THC/CBD.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Although Dr. Peterson puts himself on the more holistic side of the rheumatology spectrum, he feels his patients deserve to be empowered with whatever knowledge is available and would prefer his patients feel comfortable talking to him about what they are using to complement their traditional treatment.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 | Single Page

Filed Under: Drug Updates Tagged With: cannabinoid, cannabis, Legal, marijuana, medical marijuanaIssue: April 2018

You Might Also Like:
  • Medical Cannabis Helps Chronic Pain Patients Cut Opioid Use
  • Medical Marijuana Use by Rheumatology Patients Needs Closer Look
  • Little Evidence Shows Cannabis Helps Chronic Pain or PTSD
  • Marijuana for Rheumatology Patients?

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.