Medical Marijuana has been shown to reduce both the perception and the causes, such as inflammation, of chronic pain. Given the low-risk profile relative to opiates, medical marijuana in all of its forms should be the first option patients have.

The treatment of chronic pain with medicinal cannabis in this open-label, prospective cohort resulted in improved pain and functional outcomes, and a significant reduction in opioid use. Results suggest long-term benefit of cannabis treatment in this group of patients The Effect of Medicinal Cannabis on Pain and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Chronic Pain: A Prospective Open-label Study.

Among individuals treated with prescription opioids, prevalence of problematic use of opioids according to DSM-IV, PC, and COMM was 52.6%, 17.1%, and 28.7%, respectively. Among those treated with MC, prevalence of problematic use of cannabis according to DSM-IV and PC was 21.2% and 10.6%, 

Medical Marijuana can reduce the effects of opiate withdrawal, easing patients off of their opiate or heroin addiction.

Medical Marijuana has been shown to reduce stress, manage chronic pain, and moderate use has been shown to increase chances of adherence to other medication protocols.                                                                                                                                                                         By Stephen Mc Camman