Hello my stoners! My partners in what used to be crime! My chronically ill peeps who use cannabis to help with their pains. I see you all, and I am you all.
To make a very long medical story short, I have been diagnosed with Endometriosis, and every one of my doctors worries about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a connective tissue disorder (and everything is connective tissue). So, what did I do to cope with the copious amounts of pain I was and am still in? Weed! And there’s a brilliant reason why.
Because weed has so many medicinal purposes. There’s an entire section of the cannabis sector dedicated to medical marijuana.
Remember my grandma who didn’t want to smoke pot? Well, according to Noel (2017), after a “randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial… of 21 [Parkinson’s]patients that compared CBD 75 mg and CBD 300 mg to [a] placebo… Significance was realized on the PDQ-39 total score, which saw a significantly greater change on CBD 300 mg versus placebo (P = .05).” Which basically means that the group that received 300mg of medical marijuana reacted significantly better than those who received 75mg or none at all.
My conclusion for people with Parkinson’s? They should be stoners.
While there is not enough data to corroborate my statement directly, the American Parkinson Disease Association says that “based on what is known about the biology of cannabis.. THC and/or CBD may be helpful for aspects of PD such as tremor, stiffness, insomnia, dystonia, pain, dyskinesias [the involuntary and repetitive muscle movements] or weight loss.” The only hold up is that not enough research has been done and marijuana is still federally illegal.
Also according to Noel, when it comes to neuropathic pain – nerve pain – the “results showed that versus placebo, cannabis cigarettes significantly reduced pain,” in patients with nerve pain. “Patients also reported improved ability to fall asleep easier, faster, and were more drowsy in those using 9.4% THC versus” the placebo. “There were no differences in mood or quality of life between various THC doses and placebo.”
But pain isn’t all cannabis can treat; it can also be used to treat mental health disorders.
As someone with C-PTSD (complex post traumatic stress disorder), bipolar spectrum disorder, and so so so many more, I use marijuana as a way to regulate. Personally, weed makes it easier for me to relax and find the reason behind my panic or anxiety attacks, volatile mood swings, or even just feeling like something is off without knowing what to name it. My coworkers can attest: the days I’m struggling, they’d rather have me high than sober.
Paired with my prescribed meds, of course. Without those, my coworkers wouldn’t need to worry about me in the workplace, because I simply wouldn’t be there.
So if it works for me, would it work for other people?
According to multiple peer-reviewed studies, the answer is yes!
According, once again, to Noel, when it comes to social anxiety, “CBD had a significant effect on increased brain activity in the right posterior cingulate cortex… which is thought to be involved in the processing of emotional information.” Meaning, CBD helped regulate the processing of emotions, which makes space to counteract the anxiety.
In patients with Schizophrenia, the results from a study, also by Noel, found that “THC significantly increased learning and recall deficits, positive and negative symptoms, general psychopathology, perceptual alterations, akathisia, rigidity, dyskinesia, deficits in vigilance, and plasma prolactin and cortisol levels.”
So where does this leave us? Well…
“There seems to be strongest evidence for the use of [medical marijuana] in patients with MS and in patients with neuropathic pain; moderate evidence exists to support further research
in social anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, [Parkinson’s], and tobacco use disorder; evidence
is limited for use in patients with dementia, Huntington disease, depression, and anorexia.
Future research for the use of [medical marijuana] in other psychiatric and neurologic diseases includes posttraumatic stress disorder, Tourette syndrome, and epilepsy, because
there were some studies identified that did not meet inclusion criteria for this review.”
(Noel, 2017)
It leaves us in a space where more information is needed. It’s as simple as that.
In my humble opinion (seriously, I just work here. I’m not someone to read for medical advice), there are undeniable benefits to using marijuana when it comes to treating physical pain and mental challenges. Is there enough evidence to back my use of weed for my CPTSD episodes? Technically, no. But I know my body, and I know that my body will react better if I put some calming plant smoke into my lungs.
What I’m trying to say is: know your body. Know your limits. And know there are so many options to treating pain, either physical or mental.
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna go start my IT: Welcome to Derry rewatch with my emotional support bong. Until next time, my partners in what used to be crime!
Hill, Kevin P. “Medical Marijuana for Treatment of Chronic Pain and Other Medical and Psychiatric Problems.” JAMA, vol. 313, no. 24, June 2015, p. 2474. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.6199. /(Hill, 2015), Hill (2015)
Noel, Christopher. “Evidence for the Use of ‘Medical Marijuana’ in Psychiatric and Neurologic Disorders.” Mental Health Clinician, vol. 7, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 29–38. https://doi.org/10.9740/mhc.2017.01.029. /(Noel, 2017), Noel (2017)
American Parkinson Disease Association. “Medical Marijuana and Parkinson’s Disease | American Parkinson Disease Association.” American Parkinson Disease Association, 23 Sept. 2024, www.apdaparkinson.org/living–with–parkinsonsdisease/treatment–medication/medical–marijuana–and–parkinsons–disease.
Disclaimer Regarding Cannabis Use:
The DePaul University Honors Program reminds you that, while the purchasing, possession, and consumption of cannabis is legal in the state of Illinois for anyone over the age of 21, it is still illegal at the federal level. Therefore, all U.S. college campuses (including DePaul University) must comply with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act that does not allow cannabis, medicinal or recreational, on school property.
Studies show that cannabis can cause addiction. Learn more from DePaul University’s Office of Health and Wellness.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drugs or alcohol, help is available through the DePaul University Counseling Services
About the Author
Hi! My name is Christopher Cervantes Dunn! I’m a second-year undergrad student; I’m majoring in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing, and a minor in French. I’m a published poet, but my current hyperfixation is how and why we as a species have evolved to process cannabis in our brains and bodies.
Read more on the Honors Blog.
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