How can cannabis help with chronic pain?

A staggering 51.6 million Americans live with pain daily; Ellen Smith from the U.S. Pain Foundation tells us about how medical cannabis supports her management of chronic pain

I wanted to share my personal use of cannabis for managing chronic pain. I am seventy-three years old, defined as elderly under the legal government criteria, and Medicare age. I live with two incurable, painful conditions – one called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and the other sarcoidosis.

At the age of fifty-seven, at my doctor’s advice, I underwent DNA Genelx testing, which revealed that the only medications for pain that my body would tolerate and metabolise were ketamine or cannabis, both controversial. I remember laughing at the doctor back in 2007 when it was suggested I try cannabis. I remember trying cannabis in college, smoking a joint with some friends, and finding myself in bed for the rest of the day.

That was not my idea of fun, so this suggestion was unwelcome. I was also desperate for pain relief, losing my teaching career due to my deteriorating medical condition, and confused as to what I might do next to alter the downward spiral my life had taken. I was tired of living in high pain.

That was not my idea of fun, so this suggestion was unwelcome. I was also desperate for pain relief, losing my teaching career due to my deteriorating medical condition, and confused as to what I might do next to alter the downward spiral my life had taken. I was tired of living in high pain.

Discovering cannabis for chronic pain

At that time, there were no compassion centers, so medical cannabis patients either waited to grow their cannabis, which takes at least three months or more or reached out to the black market. I turned to the market and ended up with ‘who knows what’ for the product but converted it into a night oil since smoking with my lungs would be fatal.

I was so scared to take the cannabis oil that first night, and when I did, I warned my husband that I had taken it and fully expected a reaction as I had experienced years ago back in college – ‘feeling out of my body.’ However, instead, now living in a body of pain, my experience was quite different. Instead, I slept all night for the first time in months, if not years.

What I noticed the next day was not the magic of my conditions gone, but instead a new peace and calmness. I now had new hope that I was not destined for a life of intense pain and suffering. This sense of hope allowed for an emotional acceptance of a future that, while not perfect, would help me to feel useful and have meaning. Rest is huge, no matter what you are facing, and it helps to give you courage and new strength in finding purpose and meaning back in the life you are given.

I had no choice but to speak out once I experienced that a body in pain does not react to cannabis in the same manner as that of a pain-free recreational user. I have found that cannabis does not knock your socks off with pain relief as opiates are often capable of, but I noticed this new calm and peace in my body.

I was so accustomed to living with chronic pain that I found this gentle, safe relief was priceless and gave me a new lease on life. Keep in mind, however, that anyone with pain can take too much cannabis and create that sensation of feeling high if they are not careful! It is no different than taking too much of any medication; you can overdo it!

Understanding what your body needs

There are many ways to take medical cannabis, from smoking, vaporising, tinctures, capsules, concentrated oil gummy bears, drinks, etc., so you must be patient to determine the most effective.

Also, we all have different needs in our body, so one specific type that works for one person, let’s say for MS, will not necessarily be the match for another with the same diagnosis. My article, Which Marijuana Strain Works Best for Pain?, might help to explain this better.

New patients must also experiment and use their judgment as to the best CBD and THC levels that provide them with the best relief. Decisions must be made as to whether you need the regular cannabis plant to control your pain or if you would do better with a higher CBD plant that has some THC in it. This article might be useful for understanding a bit more about the difference between a higher CBD plant versus a stronger THC product.

I do have to use ketamine for hospitalizations and surgeries since, at this time, even in legal cannabis states, hospitals are not comfortable with the use of cannabis.

Using this can be an option to consider if you are like me and unable to use any opiates for surgical pain.

As you decide to consider trying cannabis, please know that I, too, was scared due to my recollections of the ‘high sensation’ from using cannabis back in college socially. Remember, if you live in a body with medical issues and pain, you can bring relief and calm to the body using this safe product, if you keep your dose at the appropriate amount for you.

Manageable pain

Do I still have pain in my body as a cannabis user? The answer is yes, but I now live with calm and manageable discomfort that gives me dignity, purpose, and meaning back in life. My oil allows me to sleep most nights, live with hope, advocate, and think clearer the next day. I am under no illusions my medical conditions will not continue to present me with, at times, daunting challenges.

Compared to the pain I was living with previously, this is a huge gift, and I am grateful to live in a compassionate state that allows me this choice. Nothing is going to take away what I am facing for the rest of my life, but I can function again in society thanks to the use of cannabis, with no side effects to this very reactive body.