How and Why Does Cannabis Treat Pain?
The answer to this question is simple: cannabis treats pain because it has numerous cannabinoids and terpenoids, for example, CBD and THC, that work together synergistically in combating various types of pain. Think of them as Batman and Robin — sure they work independently, but together they are unbeatable (well, sort of — they certainly get beaten up a lot more in the 80s version of the comics). In this scenario, your pain is the cheesy villain. Cannabis more specifically affects the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and, because of this, is arguably a far better, safer broad-spectrum painkiller than most if not all opiates.
Underlying such a simple answer is a lot of complicated science. There are three main questions to answer in order to answer effectively how and why cannabis treats pain …
- What is Pain?
“Anything that causes physical or mental discomfort and distress to an individual via intense or damaging stimuli” is the broad answer. There are, of course, lots of different types of pain, but there are two main categories: “acute” and “chronic”.
Pain is essentially a signal from the part of the body that is damaged, through the spine and to the brain (the CNS, or Central Nervous System). There are three pathways by which the body does this, all producing different pain sensations:
- Somatic Pain — injury to skin, muscles, bones, joints, connective tissues
- Visceral Pain — pain in internal organs, activated by nociceptors found in the gut
- Neuropathic Pain — nerve damage
Cannabis can help control the signals that notify the brain that the body is in pain. This leads to our second question …
2. What is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)?
The ECS is a group of receptors found throughout the body and consists of two main receptors: CB1 and CB2. Without going too much into the complicated science, CB1 receptors are located in the central and peripheral nervous system — with concentrations in the brain — and play a role in memory, mood, sleep and pain sensation. CB2 receptors are found in immune cells and play a role in inflammation.
I like to think of the ECS as being like a “baseball glove”. Marijuana’s cannabinoids and terpenes (balls) are caught by the synapses (gloves), and then thrown across to other receptors (teammates).
Broadly speaking, the psychoactive effects of THC are regulated by the CB1 receptors, whilst CB2 receptors are responsible for CBD. There are other cannabinoids that affect both receptors as well, and they often work together with THC and CBD in order to make them more effective for medical purposes.
For example, the terpene myrcene increases the maximum saturation level of the CB1 receptor, allowing for a greater psychoactive effect, whereas the cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) can help relieve intraocular eye pressure, anxiety and muscle tension.
3. What Does Cannabis Do?
Cannabis is full of cannabinoids and terpenoids (especially THC and CBD) that can help regulate and under- and/or over- active ECS in those who are suffering from a wide variety of conditions. The fact that cannabis works with the ECS is what makes it so special, as the ECS is involved in all types of pain, not just one or two types.
Opiates and opioids, for instance, have an affinity for delta, kappa, mu, zeta and nociceptin receptors, rendering them useless for nerve pain. Opioids also work by blocking out opioid receptors entirely. Marijuana, meanwhile, works on an entirely different set of receptors as well as the opioid receptors, meaning it can have pain-killing effects without the addictive potential opiates and opioids have.
We could write forever about the science behind this, but that would require a thesis! In the meantime, I hope the above provides a good, basic understanding as well as a launchpad from which to carry out your own research.
If you want to know more about the endocannabinoid system or get a medical marijuana card for yourself, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with Leafwell.
