Is Marijuana Effective for Pain Management?

Many people who have effectively been using marijuana for years swear by the drug’s ability to reduce pain. However, a handful of medical experts argue that there just isn’t enough research to confirm that medical cannabis is an effective treatment for pain. At a recent presentation at the 2014 European League Against Rheumatism Congress, the associate professor of medicine at the Quebec McGill University, Dr. Mary-Ann Fitzcharles, spoke about her beliefs on medical marijuana. She believes that despite the widespread legalization of medical marijuana in many states in America, there hasn’t been much evidence to show the therapeutic effects of cannabinoid molecules on musculoskeletal pain.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has often questioned the medical benefit of marijuana. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency doesn’t believe that marijuana has any “accepted medicinal value in treatment in the United States, and evidence that there is a general lack of accepted safety for its use is even under medical supervision.”
However, many people are believers that marijuana does wonders to reduce pain in patients with various conditions. According to The Mayo Clinic, “Marijuana has been studied for the treatment of chronic pain. It has been used in people whose pain did not respond to other drugs such as narcotics. Cannabis-based products like Sativex are used to treat different types of pain, such as pain from cancer or multiple sclerosis.” 
The American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, The New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Nurses Association all endorse the use of medical marijuana for treating severe chronic pain. A study conducted in 2000 concluded that of the 1,300-fibromyalgia patients surveyed, 70-80% of them that used medical marijuana experienced some pain relief.
In an article WeedLynx published earlier this month, a study conducted by JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that there may be a connection between states with active medical marijuana programs and fewer opiate-related deaths. The majority of individuals with access to medical marijuana are choosing this method of pain relief over harmful and even possibly deadly painkillers.
While there may not be enough hard evidence to support how effective medical cannabis is on pain relief, many people over the years have been able to lead much happier and pain-free lives because of this amazing plant.