Study Finds Marijuana Reduces Pain, but Worsens Self-Care

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

The 1998 comedy “The Big Lebowski” has a cult-like status as a stoner film, largely because of the way Jeff Bridges portrays a weed-smoking slacker who has no job, can’t pay the rent and spends half the movie in a bathroom robe. The Dude abides life at his own pace.

A new study may have inadvertently reinforced some of that stoner stigma, finding that marijuana use reduces pain but significantly worsens patient “self-care” – a broad category that includes behavior such as motivation, physical activity and appearance.

The study involved 181 pain patients enrolled in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program, who used marijuana for eight weeks and regularly completed surveys on its effects.

The study findings, recently published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, showed that participants reported significant improvement in their pain and anxiety, and a small improvement in quality of life. But there was a caveat.

“One sees that the improvements to the pain and anxiety dimensions are tempered by a decline in the area of self-care. This is important because the side effect profile of cannabis may be diminishing the improvement in (quality of life),” wrote lead author Andrew Peterson, PharmD, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. “A review of the literature found no other study connecting the use of marijuana with declines in self-care in pain patients using MM (medical marijuana).”

The study did not look at the doses used by participants, but since all products in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program contain some level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive substance in marijuana – researchers believe there might be a connection. They said further studies were needed to see if there’s a relationship between THC, self-care and quality of life.

“There are many sources describing the negative consequences of marijuana,” Peterson wrote. “Given that our study found a decline in self-care among pain patients using MM (medical marijuana), it would be of interest to learn what aspects of self-care change when using MM for pain.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, some of the negative consequences of marijuana use include changes in mood, difficulty with thinking and problem-solving, impaired memory and an altered sense of time.  

Finding Inner Peace and Justice

By Mia Maysack, PNN Columnist

The vast majority of people who live with chronic pain and illness are blameless. It’s not our fault that we’re sick.  

I, for example, was a kid when an ear infection that led to a lifelong traumatic brain injury.  An innocent student and young career person who constantly missed class and work because of chronic migraines. Lack of proper care only further complicated matters.  

My health conditions were my biggest bullies; repeatedly huffing, puffing and blowing down any chance I had for normalcy or life without them. I often felt as though I were a prisoner within my own body. There were moments that I almost didn't make it through.

I'd be lying if I didn't confide some days still push me to my limits. But I’ve learned to pace myself and honor my capabilities one breath at a time.

Ask yourself this question: If you had to name all the things in life that you love, how long would it take for you to name yourself?  

Learning self-love is probably one of the biggest aspects of my self-care plan. But even deeper than self-love is a new concept I am exploring, called Inner Justice. 

When I feel well enough, I participate in a local campaign I began called “Honk4Justice.” A sign is held at busy intersections, inviting drivers to participate in the civil rights movement by simply honking. 

Often the question is asked:  "Justice for who?"

There are many answers.  Justice is waiting for proper verdicts and sentencing for killers. Justice is the same treatment for others that I'd hope to receive for myself. Justice is an equal amount of justice from one person to the next. Justice for the inner climate that makes up our individual perceptions of reality. 

Something that became very apparent early on in my journey with medical justice is that all pain and all hurt matters. Each of us, as part of this human experience, suffer somehow. Something has tested, caused inconvenience, broken our hearts or inflicted trauma in our lives.   

Instead of fixating on what separates us, we should focus on the commonalities to be found in the human experience. That includes physical and emotional pain. 

Whether it’s enduring systemic oppression or maltreatment, everything in existence is valid, causes a ripple effect and is connected. This means any one of us is only as strong as the weakest. That is why addressing our own personal judgement, ego, issues, privilege and wounds is paramount to move forward with individual healing and wellness.  

The beginning of this process for me meant developing a two-way relationship with my symptoms. I learned to approach myself as I would a dear friend, because ultimately the longest standing fellowship we’ll ever have is with ourselves. I've learned to navigate uncertainty, embrace the grand master plan, and surrender to the present as it comes. 

Living with a traumatized nervous system that constantly feels threatened and cultivating a sense of safety can seem like an impossible task, but it provides an opportunity for self-compassion. Once we’ve internalized that,  it becomes an available source of energy to pull from for understanding, accepting and having empathy for others. 

For as many more days as we have left, let us be open to learn, listen, teach and try for ourselves, each other and all those still to come.

Mia Maysack lives with chronic migraine, cluster headache and fibromyalgia. Mia is the founder of Keepin’ Our Heads Up, a Facebook advocacy and support group, and Peace & Love, a wellness and life coaching practice for the chronically ill.