In the medical-pharmaceutical world, a great number of the prescriptions suggested by medical professionals are aimed at treating the side effects of common ailments and illnesses. Of these many prescriptions, it is estimated that the majority are prescribed to combat pain. According to a recent Institute of Medicine report, some 100 million Americans claim to be living with chronic or persistent pain. This is widely thought to be a small percentage of the overall pain sufferers in the nation, due to the fact that the 100 million number does not include those who are troubled by acute pain or any instances of children (aged 4-18) who also live with pain.
Albeit taxing, pain is a unique sensory and emotional experience – a sure sign that there is something wrong in the body. The two most common types of pain routinely diagnosed and treated are acute and chronic pain. Acute pain is unique in that it comes on very suddenly – usually after an injury to the body such as a broken bone or a burn. The duration of the acute pain is tied to the rate at which the body is able to heal itself. Acute pain sometimes lasts days, weeks, or months. Chronic pain, by comparison, is persistent – where the pain signals travelling through the body are ceaseless, even though the injury may have been healed. When we speak of chronic pain, we often relate the condition to long-lasting diseases and ailments. Cancer, arthritis and HIV/AIDS are three of the top causes for chronic pain in those who have these terrible afflictions.
Many forms of pain are obviously treated with prescription drugs. In California, where the growing of medical marijuana is permissible by law, there are a number of alternative treatments available to acute and chronic pain sufferers. Obviously, the growing and dispensing of medicinal marijuana (often referred to as cannabis) as a remedy for pain is only permitted in those states or jurisdictions where it is legal. The beneficial effects of medicinal marijuana on chronic or acute pain, however, have been widely reported by researchers in the field. In a number of recent reports, it has been stated that the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (the active ingredient in marijuana) were highly effective in relieving certain types of pain.
As a medical marijuana store in the Long Beach area, the PRC sees its share of member-patients who struggle with pain. Formed as a medical marijuana dispensary and co-op, the PRC offers a number of medical marijuana products including Indica, Sativa, and hybrids; edibles that include cookies, breads, chocolate bars, and lemon squares; and concentrates such as wax, hash, oils and keif. Each of these products – preparations of marijuana – have been used to combat chronic and debilitating pain in our co-op member-patients who suffer from wellness issues brought on by Alzheimer’s Disease, HIV/AIDS, Arthritis, Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, and other afflictions.
The PRC Medical Marijuana blog articles are meant for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for actual medical advice. The PRC Dispensary, a medical marijuana store in Long Beach, serves patients in the San Pedro, South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Harbor City, Wilmington, and Palos Verdes Estates areas. All new patients are required to call or come in 24 hours in advance of their first visit. You may phone (310) 832-2420 between 9am and 8pm every day.