Throw the joint, roll the wheels!
Marijuana was more effective in pills
Mednovosti based on the materials of MedicalNewsToday: Marijuana Pill May Be Better For Pain Relief
Oral administration of cannabinoids has a more long-term analgesic effect than that which occurs when smoking marijuana. These are the results of comparative clinical trials published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology conducted by specialists from Columbia University (New York) - Cooper et al., Comparison of the Analgesic Effects of Dronabinol and Smoked Marijuana In Daily Marijuana Smokers.
Previous studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of the active component of marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol in phantom pain and neuropathic pain, however, a comparative analysis of its analgesic effect depending on the means of delivery of the substance to the body has not yet been conducted.
During the tests, the analgesic properties of the drug dronabinol (Dronabinol, Marinol) – a synthetic analogue of tetrahydrocannabinol produced in capsules – and smoking marijuana were compared. In the United States, this drug is commonly used to prevent nausea and vomiting in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, as well as as a means to increase appetite in AIDS-related anorexia.
The study involved 30 healthy men and women who smoke marijuana daily. Some of them continued to do this during the trials, some were asked to switch to dronabinol, and some received a placebo. The analgesic effect was measured using a so–called "cold test" - participants were asked to immerse their left hand in a bath of ice water for up to two minutes, the temperature of which was 4 degrees Celsius. The time period after which the participants claimed to feel pain (the level of pain sensitivity) and the duration of the participant's hand in the water (the level of pain tolerance) were compared. The subjective feelings of the participants were also taken into account.
The experiment showed that, in comparison with placebo, marijuana and dronabinol objectively reduce the pain threshold to the same extent and increase the level of pain tolerance, as well as reduce the subjective level of pain intensity. However, dronabinol had a longer lasting effect than smoking marijuana. In addition, it was found that when taking tetrahydrocannabinol orally, the subjective effect of dependence on the substance was less pronounced than when smoking.
The authors themselves point out that the disadvantage of the experiment is the participation of people whose body is used to tetrahydrocannabinol, so they plan to continue research on people who do not use marijuana. However, the authors believe that the results obtained indicate a great potential for the oral use of tetrahydrocannabinol as an effective analgesic.
In December 2012, scientists from Oxford University discovered the mechanism of the analgesic effect of marijuana. It turned out that tetrahydrocannabinol affects the area of the brain associated with the emotional response to pain, thereby making pain more tolerable. The researchers also found that people who had a strong connection between the right side of the amygdala and the primary motor cortex responded better to pain management with marijuana.
24.04.2013