Cannabis for Arthritis Sufferers

THC and CBD relieve pain, moderate the immune system and possess anti-inflammatory actions

The cannabinoids THC and CBD have become important medicines for the treatment of arthritis. These cannabinoids have been shown to relieve pain, moderate the immune system and possess anti-inflammatory actions.

Arthritis sufferers have known for hundreds of years that Cannabis helps their symptoms to decrease. These patients have used Cannabis with positive results. More than a hundred forms of arthritis exist and affect approximately one-in-five, or fifty-two million, adult Americans today. Most can be effectively treated with Cannabis, particularly with the cannabinoid CBD. The most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gout.

Osteoarthritis is the result of the wear-and-tear of daily living. An individual's age, weight and activity level are the major factors that can lead to osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis in America today. Cannabis is effective in treating the pain and swelling that results from the disease. CBD is the anti-inflammatory cannabinoid that moderates the response of the immune system to the irritation caused by the degenerative changes in the joints. CBD inhibits the formation of the white blood cells that attack the tissues in the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis is the result of inflammation caused by a malfunctioning immune system. An estimated 1.5 million adults had rheumatoid arthritis in 2007, when the government last gathered statistics. For some time, there has been evidence in studies showing that Cannabis is not only effective in relieving the pain of RA, but also in slowing the progression of the disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system attacks collagen and connective tissue as if it were a foreign invader.

Some cases can be brought about by a prior systemic infection. Patients born with a HLA-B27 antigen that have previously had a chlamydia infection are susceptible to a form of rheumatoid arthritis.

Cannabis seems to decrease inflammation in the body by suppressing certain parts of the immune system. Previous studies have hinted at immune system abnormalities among Cannabis users - specifically, in the function of immune system cells called T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. While these cells help the body fight infections, no direct link with lowered immunity has yet been shown.

In a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (April 16, 2003), researchers tested the blood of twenty-nine Cannabis smokers - thirteen occasional users and sixteen regular users (i.e., weekly or daily use). They compared the results with a group of thirty-two nonsmokers. Again, researchers found that Cannabis smokers had fewer immune-enhancing natural killer cells and lymphocytes.

These changes can dampen the immune system's response to infection, increasing susceptibility to infections and promoting growth of tumors, states lead researcher Roberta Pacifici, PhD, with the Instituto Superiore di Sanita in Rome, Italy. However, researchers also say this finding could lead to new treatments for people with autoimmune disorders. Current treatments suppress the immune system, thereby calming the abnormal immune response that plagues people with the conditions. Cannabis lowers levels of the inflammation-promoting protein interleukin-2 and raises levels of the anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-10. Both of these findings could be of potential benefit for treating autoimmune disorders one day.

A more recent study showed that CBD is more specific in its inhibition of immune system cells. A study published in the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology demonstrated that the repeated administration of CBD in rats increased the immune system white cells that attack tumors and viruses, but decreased the white cells associated with the autoimmune response in neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases associated with collagen-induced arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

CB₂ receptor activation of immune cells is associated with cytokine release and migration. Cytokines are inflammatory chemicals produced in the body. A dose of 2.5 mg per kilo per day and 5.0 mg per kilo per day was given to the laboratory rats for fourteen days. This is considered a relatively low dose, yet it still produced a meaningful effect. These findings were applied to other animal models of illness, including destruction of pancreatic islets of mice in relation to diabetes, decreasing hyperalgesia in rats due to neuropathic and inflammatory pain and cerebral ischemia in gerbils. In all cases, CBD decreased the damage to the body caused by inflammation and oxidative stress. CBD appears to be a strong antioxidant.

Gout is another form of arthritis caused by crystals of uric acid that gather in the joints, damaging the cartilage. The crystals are a result of high uric acid levels in the blood, although high levels do not always lead to gout. Typically, the metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is affected (in fifty percent of cases) but other joints in the hand and the feet can also have deposits and symptoms. Uric acid crystals can also deposit in the kidneys and lead to painful kidney stones.

Gout was historically known as 'the disease of kings' or 'rich man's disease.' Gout has become more common in recent decades, affecting about one to two percent of the Western population at some point in their lives. The increase is believed to be due to increasing risk factors in the population, such as metabolic syndrome, longer life expectancy and changes in diet. Dietary causes account for about twelve percent of gout and include a strong association with the consumption of alcohol, fructose-sweetened drinks, meat and seafood. Elimination of these foods from the diet can decrease the swelling and inflammation caused by higher-than-normal levels of uric acid in the blood that become deposited in the joints. Many people have experienced profound pain relief through the use of Cannabis, including pain from inflammation and arthritis that are associated with gout. Strains high in CBD - for instance, Harlequin or Cannatonic - provide the best relief from inflammation without the intoxication of THC. CBD decreases the body's formation of B, T, Tc and Th lymphocytes, the white cells responsible for inflammation.

Modern science has discovered that the cannabinoids in Cannabis can moderate the body's autoimmune response that causes inflammation. CBD in particular has been shown to be a strong antioxidant. As research is able to continue, science will exploit these findings to develop even stronger and less toxic drugs for many modern diseases.