Opioid Crisis Research Paper

Opioid addiction is so prevalent in the healthcare system because of the countless number of hospital patients being treated for chronic pain. While opioid analgesics have beneficial painkilling properties, they also yield detrimental dependence and addiction. There is a legitimate need for the health care system to provide powerful medications because prolonged pain limits activities of daily living, work productivity, quality of life, etc. (Taylor, 2015). Patients need to receive appropriate pain treatment, however, opioids need to be prescribed after careful consideration of the benefits and risks.

While our major access to these drugs is doctors, we cannot simply lay blame on them, as there is not enough knowledge about these treatments to correctly appropriate drugs, and therefore extra is given (Hemphill 373). Alexander of the Department of Epidemiology of the Journal of the American Medical Association, states that “There are serious gaps in the knowledge base regarding opioid use for other chronic nonmalignant pain” (Alexander 1865-1866), which leads to the unfortunately large number of leftover drugs. In fact, the main place that people get their drugs are from leftover prescriptions (Hemphill 373).

Chronic pain is a tremendous public health problem, and a costly one. As health care advances and the need for palliative care rises, patients and health care providers are constantly investigating alternative methods of pain treatment and management. Questioning and challenging traditional health policies and practices has created a curiosity in the use of cannabis as an alternative option to standard opioids, for the management of chronic pain. Cannabis, is a leafy green plant consisting of buds and leaves of the cannabis sativa forma indica plants. Marijuana has been used in holistic solutions for hundreds of years; it has also been especially prevalent among terminally ill patients, who have been reported using it to alleviate symptoms like chronic pain, nausea and depression.

Weeks before my 12th birthday, I went to an emergency center thinking that I had an ear infection. Sitting in a hospital bed, I recall panicking, as I realized I could not move my legs. 2 years and a vast multitude of tests later, doctors were able to determine that I have an autonomic nervous system condition called Dysautonomia. Now, at 19 years of age, my doctor has just signed the paperwork so that I can become a medical marijuana card holder. After years of dealing with the dilemma that is prescription opioids, I have found myself opting for medical marijuana instead, and for good reason. Without a doubt, medical marijuana is a better alternative to prescription opioids in terms of overdoses, negative side effects, and psychoactive properties.

There is a huge need for alternative ways to provide comfort for patients that have adverse

Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.

"Various forms of medicinal cannabis have provided mostly positive responses for patients with different types of pain: Neuropathic, chronic, postoperative, and that related to fibromyalgia, rhematoid arthritis, mutiple sclerosis and cancer" (Borgelt, Franson, & Nussbaum, 2013). In a study outlined in the article The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis, which evaluated smoked cannabis compared to placebo, significant improvements in pain were observed. The study included 56 patients and used cigarettes wtih varying THC contents. In general, a higher THC content (up to 9.4%) appears to be more effective for pain relief (Borgelt, Franson, & Nussbaum, 2013).

Chronic pain is a tremendous public health problem, and a costly one. As health care advances and the need for palliative care rises, patients and health care providers are constantly investigating alternative methods of pain treatment and management. Questioning and challenging traditional health policies and practices has created an interest in the use of cannabis as an alternative option to standard opioids, for the management of chronic pain. Cannabis, or marijuana, is a leafy green plant consisting of buds and leaves of the cannabis sativa forma indica plants. Marijuana has been used in holistic solutions for hundreds of years; it has also been especially prevalent among terminally ill cancer patients, who have been reported using it to alleviate symptoms like chronic pain, nausea and depression.

Marijuana is a drug that divides people. Some people claim it as the wonder drug of the '90s, capable of relieving the symptoms of many serious illnesses. Others curse the day the cannabis plant was ever discovered. From pain relief to stimulating the appetites of patients on chemotherapy, marijuana seems to have plenty going for it as a medicine. The legalization of marijuana is a large controversy in many parts of the world today, but the obvious negative effects that the drug induces has kept it from being legalized. Many researchers have a strong positive attitude towards marijuana. It has been said that the drug is “worth investigating and even providing as a medicine for pain relief, severe

The CDC conducted a study to test the effects of longterm opioid use in adult patients dealing with chronic pain. It is estimated that 11.2% of adult patients suffer with some form of chronic pain lasting 3 months or more. The study utilized two styles of methodologies to assess and reach their findings, Meta-analysis and GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Drawing information from patients being treated on a continues bases; palliative (hospice/nursing homes) and end of life care excluding those with an active cancer treatment. The study is meant to be an aid for clinicians as a guide that

Chronic pain is intense suffering/agony that can persist between weeks to years. Currently, there are an estimated more than 3 million cases of chronic pain in the United States each year. That is where the Marijuana comes into play. An article on the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association states the following for Marijuana being used for chronic pain as well as other medical problems,”Aside from nausea and appetite stimulation, indications for which there are 2 FDA-approved cannabinoids (dronabinol and nabilone), chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis are the indications for medical marijuana supported by high-quality evidence”(Hill). As usual, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t state the drawbacks to using Marijuana to treat chronic pain. The same article states,”Medical marijuana and cannabinoids have significant potential health risks, such as addiction and worsening of psychiatric illnesses such as some anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders”(Hill). Currently, there are no ways to combatant these side

Cannabis has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. The first published evidence of medical cannabis use dates back to 2800 B.C. in China. “The Chinese compendium of herbal medicines, the Pents 'ao, first published around 2800 BC, recommended cannabis for the treatment of constipation, gout, malaria, menstrual problems and rheumatism.” (Maule 1) It was not until the late 20th century that the medical effects of marijuana on the human body were explored and interest in its medicinal properties have since been ever expanding. There is a wide range of

Early last year, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) conducted a study to answer that question. The study is called “The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids” and it reported that there is conclusive evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids can be an effective treatment for treating chronic pain.

Cannabis has properties that truly make it shine among medical products, helping treat Glaucoma, Epilepsy, relieve pain and even helping with certain Movement disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Looking at the hard facts of its benefits you can very easily see how outrageously overlooked it is, the vast upsides of the product clearly illustrate a very dire need to immediately integrate it into our medicine in this day and age. Furthermore,

Cannabis is rarely acknowledged for the better uses in the society and the benefits of using the medication, instead Cannabis is viewed as a “gateway drug” which is a term that is used a lot towards those who do used Cannabis as a pain relief. Cannabis has many multiple uses rather just a “drug” used to get the “high” feeling. All though Cannabis is used for medical purposes, Cannabis does receive a bad reputation because of the over use by minors which use the Cannabis to seem “cool” or try to fit in, which is why many people are against the legalization of the Cannabis. Cannabis can possibly be the next big thing in the medication field to help those who need it and should be legalized only for those who need it. It is a great idea that the government came up with the idea of the Medical Card which is issued to those who have pains or problems such as, back pains, stress, head aches, migraines, etc. Unfortunately, our society now and days won’t give Cannabis a chance because many of them see that there are a couple problems with not only the people who consume the medication but also with the people who are producing and selling it, which in most of the cases people are put in jail for the possession and distribution of a