One area researchers are exploring is the use of cannabis to help ease mental health problems that can lead to suicide among veterans. Other conditions cannabis is used for include nausea, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.
Several countries, but not the U.S., have approved a cannabis-based drug to treat painful muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis.
It’s possible one group of cannabinoids may be responsible for both the high experienced by recreational users and the pain relief seen in some studies, said Dr. Winfried Hauser, a pain specialist at Klinikum Saarbrucken in Germany who wasn’t involved in the current studies.
Even though cannabis is legal for medical use in Germany, Hauser says many doctors hesitate to prescribe it because there aren’t well-defined recommended doses available. Vaporizers are difficult for many patients, and cannabis smoked in combination with tobacco can have dangerous side effects, Hauser adds.
“Medical cannabis is no magic pill,” Hauser says.
References
- Nugent SM, Morasco BJ, O’Neil ME, et al. The effects of cannabis among adults with chronic pain and an overview of general harms: A systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2017 Aug 15. doi: 10.7326/M17-0155. [Epub ahead of print]
- O’Neil ME, Nugent SM, Morasco BJ, et al. Benefits and harms of plant-based cannabis for post traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2017 Aug 15. doi: 10.7326/M17-0477. [Epub ahead of print]
- The White House. Office of the press secretary. News release: Press briefing by Sec. of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin. 2017 May 13.
