Cannabis as an Alternative to Pharmaceuticals - by Emily Earlenbaugh, PhD. - #KushSmokers / Powered By Steem

in #kushsmokers7 years ago

Cannabis as an Alternative to Pharmaceuticals - by Emily Earlenbaugh, PhD(@emilyearlenbaugh). - #KushSmokers / Powered By Steem

As someone with many chronic health problems, I’ve always needed help from medication to manage my painful symptoms. For a long time, I was on a variety of prescription medications to manage pain, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, and digestive problems. People often ask me why I switched from using traditional pharmaceutical medications to using cannabis as my primary medicine. So, I thought I would share some reason why I made this change, and why you might consider making the change yourself.

Before I go too far into the reasons for replacing pharmaceuticals with cannabis, let me caveat the conversation. Cannabis is an amazing and incredibly versatile medicine, and patients report it helping with all kinds of problems. This is in part because cannabis helps with pain, inflammation, and immune responses, three problems present in so many conditions. Still, cannabis is not a cure-all and it can’t just replace everything. I still use a few pharmaceutical products for things like allergies, which cannabis doesn’t help me with. And there are plenty of medications which can’t be replaced by cannabis. Be sure to talk to a doctor before stopping any current medications and never stop a medication suddenly as this comes with it’s own dangers. Still, many commonly used medications CAN be replaced with cannabis, and probably should.

The most obvious reason to use cannabis is it’s safety. The research shows that cannabis is incredibly safe when compared to the alternatives. Many conventional medications can be severely addictive, dangerous and cause long term damage to your health.

The most common use of cannabis is as a pain-reliever; so I will focus on that for this piece. One study found 97% of patients using cannabis were using it for chronic pain. And a recent study by the National Academy of Sciences reported that there is substantial or even conclusive evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain. Since the majority of medical marijuana patients use it for pain management - it can be helpful to compare with the alternative pain-relievers available.

The Opiate Death Toll

Let’s start by looking at opiates - a controversial but commonly used painkiller. Many people use opiates for chronic pain. This might be pain from an injury, chronic headaches, arthritis or really any type of pain that interferes enough with your life that your doctor is willing to write the prescription. While pain management is crucial for these patients, going on opiates is a dangerous choice. Opiates are incredibly addictive, and long term use comes with a host of health problems - including ironically - increased pain.

The opiate epidemic is real. Over 33,000 people die each year from opiates and the rates are only increasing each year. Well.. actually… opiate related deaths did go down in some areas over the last few years- those states that legalized medical cannabis.

That’s right. In states that allow medical cannabis laws, deaths from opiate overdoses have gone down by 25%! With a safe alternative to opiates, patients needed to rely on them less. Cannabis as a great alternative. It not only replaces opiates in terms of pain relief, it can also help with the challenging process of withdrawing off of opiates.

Animal studies suggest that using cannabis can actually decrease one’s desire for opiates. One study showed that adolescent mice exposed to thc showed less addictive behaviors towards opiates. Human studies also show that cannabis use can ease the withdrawal process and increase success rates for quitting.

Over-the-Counter Pain Killers

You may be thinking - OK - but I don’t use opiates, so I have nothing to worry about. Some people only need pain relief occasionally from an over-the-counter medication like aspirin. Well - these painkillers are dangerous as well.

Aspirin and other NSAID painkillers are incredibly common. These are medications that most people use on a regular basis for mild pain. It doesn’t require any special prescription and we even have versions of the drug marketed to children. It is in most medicine cabinets - and people use it for all kinds of normal aches and pains. A headache here, a pulled muscle there. Most people have taken these on more occasions than they can count and have it standing by, in case of pain. Others take it on a daily basis for some kind of chronic pain, or heart disease preventative.

But every year, thousands of people die from taking too much aspirin. You can easily overdose from these medications if you take too much at once. But even if you don’t overdose - over time, NSAIDS can lead to long term risks. Estimates have deaths from NSAID’s at over 15,000 a year, and hospitalization for complications caused by NSAIDS (like GI bleeding or liver damage) are in the 100,000 range.

Cannabis as an Alternative in 2017

On the other hand we have medical marijuana - which despite being branded as a schedule 1 substance - has no recorded fatalities. Cannabis has a long history with human-kind. It has been used by human populations for at least the last 12,000 years. From very early on in our history, we used the cannabis plant for food, rope and textiles. Then around 5,000 ago we also started to use it medicinally, as well. So we have a very long history of consuming cannabis.

People have been using cannabis all this time, but there have been no recorded fatalities from taking cannabis in our entire 12,000 year history with the plant. Because there is no known toxicity for cannabis, patients can increase their intake with their needs and not have to worry about overdosing.

It is also a substance that is not chemically addictive, so while people can become habitually attached to the habit of using cannabis, they won’t go through the intense and dangerous withdrawal process associated with addictive pain pills like opiates.

While cannabis is still a Schedule 1 Drug, making it difficult to study the benefits of cannabis, funding for studies aimed at discovering harms from cannabis has been readily available and many studies have been done on the topic. Still, researchers havn’t been unable to come up with much. While we are still investigating potential risks - and it is possible there are some - what we have found pales in comparison to the death toll associated with other painkillers. And there are many other uses for cannabis.

I have personally replaced benzos, antidepressants, sleeping pills, and all medications for my nausea and digestive problems with cannabis. Cannabis not only replaced these medications for me, they work much better - and don’t give me the same negative side effects. What negative side effects I got from cannabis, I was able to eliminate by honing in on the best cannabis options for me. And it’s great that I now use just one medication - cannabis- instead of mixing all these different medications.

If you think cannabis might be a good fit for you and want to get started shifting to a healthier medicine, be sure to talk a cannabis specializing doctor. A doctor can look over your current medication list and let you know which of your medications are safe to swap out with cannabis, and what cannabis options might be especially helpful when you do. Pain management is just one area where cannabis is a viable replacement for prescription options, but it illustrates why many are making the change to this safe alternative.

-Dr. Emily Earlenbaugh


🔥🔥 Emily is a freelance @KushSmokers author and we hope everyone enjoys her Steem articles. She is new to the Steem community and was introduced to it through the #KushSmokers onboarding program, so please take a second, follow Emily, as she will be posting on her own account as well as under the @KushSmokers handle, alongside many other new high quality authors such as Emily in the near future!🔥🔥

Read Her Introduction Post Here:
https://steemit.com/kushsmokers/@kushsmokers/welcome-our-first-freelance-kushsmokers-author-why-i-left-academia-to-teach-people-about-cannabis-by-emily-earlenbaugh-phd-my

And her latest posts here:
https://steemit.com/kushsmokers/@kushsmokers/how-the-terpenes-in-cannabis-affect-your-high-and-you-by-emily-earlenbaugh-phd-kushsmokers-powered-by-steem

https://steemit.com/cannabis/@kushsmokers/ten-top-cannabis-strains-to-try-in-2017-by-dr-emily-kushsmokers-featured-author-of-the-week

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I'm in! I just upVoted and Followed.

Much appreciated @loveon 😊👍

Juicing cannabis is another great way to boost your health without the high. But, I enjoy the high, it also heals. Especially with stress, depression, etc. Enjoyed your writing style. Upvoted and followed.

Juicing is a great way to use cannabis- I can say that for me- I very much feel high from juiced cannabis. In many cases it causes more of a head change for me than smoking it. But this can vary from patient to patient, and many others report that they don't feel high. Either way juicing is wonderful because it keeps all the fresh compounds naturally present in the plant 🌱 plus it is delicious 😋

I meant to say raw cannabis. I read somewhere that its impossible to get high from raw weed. I have tried it and never felt nothing. I suppose only when the cannabis has been dried?

I figured you meant raw- you can't really juice it when it is dry 😉

The high is very different and more energetic than with the smoked version of the same strains, but for many there is a high. This isn't a bad thing, it's more about whether that is a functional high for you or not. I've read and heard people saying it is impossible to get high from raw cannabis or from cbd, but no one has shown me data to support it. Really they mean you won't get affected by delta 9 thc in its decarboxilayed form. You won't get that kind of high. While you get affected differently- these can certainly have affects that alter your mood or perceptions or cognitive abilities in some.

That makes a lot of sense! Thanks for the knowledge. Will be reading more of your content. I always enjoy learning about cannabis. ✌

@emilyearlenbaugh which strain is the best for benzo/anxiety, etc?

This can vary person to person. In my online course (link in my bio)I give tools and tips on how to find strains that work best for your own biochemistry. For me, heavy indicas worked best. Strains like grape ape and Hindu Kush. I also found that edibles were essential because I could easily adjust my dosage accordingly with my withdrawal symptoms and they were the most effective at relaxing my muscles which were very tense from the withdrawal.

i wish i could upvote this more.

thank you for the advice. i have a friend that is looking into alternative treatments. I will def show this to him and assign him and his doc some research as well.

Thanks @wetthebreak 😊🙏 glad to be a help

fuck big pharm, smoke some weed!

This post received a 1.1% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @decentralizd! For more information, click here!

Smoke weed everyday ,420

It's been around a lot longer than Big Pharm.

14624665_351330575259473_3622341225211756544_n.jpg

I agree that you are definitely better taking cannabis then anything over the counter.
Thank you for furthering my knowledge on this topic

Thanks for reading @arckrai 🙏😊

Cannabis is not alternative it is the cure! All other painkillers and pills should be labeled as alternative to cannabis!!! We are eathing the propaganda of big pharma companies and thats why we will always first pay for the pills and then try to find alternative when they dont work!

Very interesting topic. I think cannabis and cocaine have properties to improve our health

thanks @dim753 😊🙏 i don't have as much knowledge about cocaine but believe many substances are medicinal that get classed as 'drugs' instead. In a truely just society people would be able to choose what substances they feel are medicinal for them, and not be judged or penalized for it.

cannabis is definetly an alternative to alot of harmful pills.. it should be legalized all over the world!

Thanks @pivi 😊🙏 i couldn't agree more

I love it when a proper doctor bringes attention to the fact that cannabis should be treated differently. I definitely agree with you, great post!

💚 it!!! really good article! upvoted+resteemed! 😊

Aw much appreciated @kintar0 💚

you're welcome! 🍀💚

Literally one of my life mission's to get every person off of pharmaceuticals and break down the stereotype related to cannabis. I helped write some business curriculm for my buddy who runs the Cleveland Cannabis College in Ohio so I am trying to help move the mission forward in anyway I can. Thank you for all you do, looking forward to more content from you

Namaste

Thanks @chiefmappster 💚That sounds like some interesting and important work 😊👍 great to meet others on the same educational mission. Namaste 🙏

righttt the universe is grouping a lot of them here :)

I want use it too .

We humans have a body filled with endocannabinoid receptors. They are not there by accident. It really just comes down to finding the right strain that cures what ails you! Rock on @kushsmokers.

So true 👍 And with so many strains the possibilities are almost endless.. thanks for reading @wakeupsheeps

Keep going!

I grew up in the 70's (yeah I'm old) and we smoked pot all the time. Back then it was felt by most that pot was bad for you and led to harder drugs. Now we've done a 180. Pot is beginning to be perceived by many as a healthier alternative to a lot of meds (and probably is). Funny how things change.

I hear that view from many who grew up smoking in the 60's and 70's - and there sure was a lot of propaganda at that time against it. What's interesting is the people who thought they were doing harm by smoking may still be reaping the benefits. I've spoken with doctors researching Alzheimer's who actually noticed that patients who smoked back then are seeing far less Alzheimer's than their straight- laced peers.

That's interesting. I stopped using it a long time ago because I didn't like the way it made me felt once I got a little older. Maybe I'll try again someday though.

Understandable. If you are interested in trying it again - Check out my article @kushsmokers on how to avoid negative side effects - it may be that you were using the wrong type of cannabis for your system.

https://steemit.com/@maurain1525
Kabayan .. please help me ..please .. im a stage4 a cancer patient this food can help me?

Marijuana is the best fir medicine .. but this is not legal in phillipines :(

So sorry to hear that cannabis is not an option where you are @maurain1525 💚 It is incredibly unjust

Interesting topics. Following!

Of course, medical marijuana should be legalized

Great post! Really important to talk about this.. i medicate my bipolar illness with both lithium and cannabis/hash.. my dream is to use cannabis only and also growing my own "medicine".. upvoted and follow so that i can read more of your posts:) 🙌👊

Thanks for reading @killermart 😊🙏

Very upvoted and followed. Also happily sharing.
Glad I found you guys. Please keep up the great work.

Nice one! I first became aware of its potential recovering from a stomach infection. The nausea was so bad I couldn't bring myself to eat for 2 days until I lit up. Immediately I felt much better and was able to eat , which I credit with restoring my strength and speeding the recovery process.

glad to hear it helped you eat - that has been a huge benefit for me as well - I have chronic nausea and it is a life-saver.

I made a decision to ditch pharmaceuticals to treat my epilepsy almost 15 years ago. Never looked back, cannabis works way better without the side effects!

fantastic! thanks for sharing your story @rawpride

Interested in strains that help ptsd. Most affective.

this can vary by patient. I suffered from PTSD for about a year after a traumatic incident, and found indicas like kush's and grape ape helped me. But I have a friend who works specifically with veterans with PTSD and finds there is a wide variety of preferences for PTSD patients from heady energetic sativas to sleep inducing indicas. It really depends on your personal biochemistry. But if you want to see what has worked for others, check out sites like leafly.com or cannasos.com where you can search for strains based on symptoms. You can see what others rated as most helpful there and try them to see if they work for you as well.

Cannabis / Marijuana is one of the best natural herbal medicines that only nature can provide! Also HEMP is the most useful plant known to humanity on this planet and that have ten-thousands different sustainable industrial purposes! Just see the bigger picture! It can save our economy and ecology with this one plant! That is why its also called the billion dollar cash crop!

i like smoking kush as well its very chilly:)

AMAZING post! I love it! BIG UPVOTE from me! Now I follow you! :) @kushsmokers thank you very much for giving us this useful information! I hope you gonna post more posts like this! I Just want to ask you and other steeemers and kushsmokers too .. so the Question si : Do you ever try white widow and what is your opinion about it! Thank you! Peace ! Love ! :)) Love will save the world! :)

Thanks @dream.pro 😊🙏 I have tried white widow and it's a little too energetic and heady for me. I need it crossed with some kind of heavy indica or it is just too much for me 😊 But I'm all about sedative strains. I know many who love white widow- but they are usually sativa fans.