Let me start this article by using a few numbers to paint a bit of context: It is estimated that about one third of the entire US population is suffering from chronic pain. That is a staggering number in excess of 100 million people.1 So perhaps it should come as no surprise that US pharmacies […]
Cannabis and Acupuncture
Cannabis and Acupuncture: These Ancient Approaches to Health and Healing Share Commonalities That Are Being Scientifically Validated Today Acupuncture, a tool of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), involves the use of very fine needles that are placed very specifically on strategic points along or near the body’s subtle-energy channels or meridians. TCM posits that our life […]
Cannabis, Opioids, and Pain: Part Two
Why opioids can kill and why natural cannabinoids do not By now everybody knows that opioid overdoses can be fatal. What you may not know is that most opioid overdose-related deaths are due to respiratory arrest. That is, once an opioid enters the system in an excessive dosage—via injection, inhalation, snorting, ingestion, or direct application […]
Cannabis, Opioids, and Pain: Part One
Opioids, Cannabis, and Pain: Which is Going to Work Best for My Pain? Pain in general is defined as an unpleasant physical, mental, and emotional experience that is linked to real or anticipated damage to our body or psyche. Ancient evolutionary forces of survival have hard-wired us to respond very quickly to the experience of […]