A pill form of marijuana may work just as well to relieve pain as the
smoked form, but with fewer side effects, new research suggests.
In the study, people who either smoked marijuana or took the drug
dronabinol — a pill that contains the active ingredient of marijuana —
were able to hold their hands in a bath of ice water (showing that they
could tolerate the pain of the cold temperature) for longer than
participants who took a placebo.
What's more, the pain-reducing effect of dronabinol lasted longer
than that of smoking marijuana, the researchers said. While smoking the
drug decreased pain sensitivity for about 2.5, the pill continued to
have pain-reducing effects for about 4.5 hours. However, analgesic
effects of the pill took about an hour to kick in, compared with about
15 minutes for smoking marijuana.
Medical marijuana is legal in 18 states, and studies have suggested
that smoking the drug relieves pain. For instance, a 2010 study found
that smoking marijuana eased pain from nerve injuries.
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