After watching how my wife was struggling with chronic back pain for several months and not getting much relief from prescribed painkillers, I decided that now is time to try either medical marijuana or CBD oils. Even though I have already obtained a lot of information and good knowledge about these two options, I wanted to make sure that we make the right choice between medical marijuana vs CBD oils for her chronic back pain.
In this article I will share my research, experience and explain what helped us to make our final decision.
1. First of all it is clear that marijuana and CBD oils aren’t for all types of back pain. If you have a muscle spasm or your back hurts because you slept wrong then the condition won’t need marijuana as the back pain will likely get better on its own.
Marijuana and CBD oils are mainly used only for chronic conditions. There’s no possible and definite cure. So the best treatment is to keep the patient comfortable so they he/she can lead a normal life.
2. Relief of cancer pain is one of the primary uses of marijuana as a painkiller. This is especially true for terminal cancer. Of course this isn’t just restricted to cancer that affects the vertebrae, but a lot of cancers at an advanced stage start to metastasize to the spine causing chronic back pain.
If the cancer is so advanced then the chance of a cure are unfortunately very slim.
3. Other causes of chroinic back pain include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which are chronic conditions that can affect the spine. Both diseases are progressive.
4. Fibromyalgia and sciatica may also cause chronic back pain. Definitely disc prolapsed can cause back pain as well. You are not wrong in thinking that there’s surgery for a prolapsed disc. However it is usually reserved for late cases as the surgery itself is risky.
Here’s a list of the states where you can get medical marijuana in order to treat your intractable pain:
5. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and finally Washington.
6. CBD oil is an alternative to marijuana is. Lots of research over the past several years has proven that CBD is in fact effective in treating continuous pain.
This happens through interactions between the CBD and receptors related to pain in your central nervous system. A review in 2008, which put together the results of many different studies between the 1980s and 2007, showed that CBD was effective and had very minimal side effects.
7. During my research, I found that the National Cancer Institute has labeled CBD as a potential treatment for the chronic pain that comes with cancer. Studies also show that CBD is effective in reducing the pain that comes with arthritis. This was a great discovery for me as the two main causes of chronic back pain – as we’ve mentioned – are cancer and arthritis.
8. CBD is made from high CBD and low THC hemp. THC is of course the main component in medical marijuana and this is what separates the two.
So the purest form of CBD oil is that derived solely from hemp plants. Next there’s the CBD oil derived from CBD rich marijuana plants that have low THC levels. So these oils will have minimal traces of THC making them a little bit like marijuana. Finally there are CBD hybrids which have high levels of THC and can practically be considered marijuana.
9. The purest type is of course is that which is derived only from pure hemp plants with no more than 0.3% THC. Since it lacks the psychoactive effects of marijuana, hemp CBD oils are considered completely legal and safe. You do not need a prescription in order to buy them.
Naturally since they’re completely legal , you can buy them without a prescription. In addition, and most importantly, they won’t show up on drug tests. So if you’re using CBD oil, you won’t need to worry about drug tests coming up positive for marijuana.
10. Don’t get confused though. The kind of CBD oil we were talking about is the pure form derived from hemp plants. There are other types with higher concentrations of THC and those follow different rules. If it contains more than 1% THC then the laws of marijuana will apply.
This means you’ll need a prescription and can only buy them at medical marijuana dispensaries. Of course those with 1% or higher THC will show up as positive on drug tests.
11. As the CBD oil market grows, things will get a little messy, just like with any relatively new market. You’ll find people who try to sell fake products of bad quality. So you need to read reviews about the product you’re looking to buy.
Also make sure wherever you’re buying from has good reviews and is known for its high quality product. It’s also important to make sure that the product you’re getting is from natural hemp that was grown without any usage of pesticides or herbicides.
| Medical Marijuana | CBD oil | |
| Effectiveness | +++ | ++ |
| Effective time | Variable | Variable |
| Side Effects | More | Less |
| Addiction | None | None |
| Prescription | Needed | Not needed |
| Approx price range $ | $$ | $$ |
| Availability | In certain states | Everywhere |
12. The main differences between marijuana and CBD oil is the availability. CBD oil does not require a prescription and this makes it available all over the country. It can even be sold online, but medical marijuana has certain dispensaries and requires a prescription. Also let’s not forget that marijuana will show up on a drug test but CBD will not.
My wife and I finally agreed that CBD product like Joint Restore Gummies was the best option for her chronic back pain. The results surprised us in a good way and she started feeling better straightaway. Her life has definitely improved since she opted for these CBD gummies.
Hope our experience when it comes to medical marijuana or CBD product for chronic back pain, which is better worked in your case?
If you have experience using CBD product or medical marijuana or have seen it first hand through a loved one for the treatment of chronic back pain then please leave a comment. I’m sure others can definitely benefit from your experiences.
