A painful lesson: are we repeating previous mistakes in pain management?

摘要

The idea that cannabis could be an alternative to opioids in the treatment of pain is attractive and gaining attention. The USA has witnessed a substantial rise in opioid-related deaths over the past decade, during which restricting the use of prescribed opioids has resulted in many people sourcing these opioids elsewhere, including from the illicit market.’ For many patients, their journey to opioid dependency started when they were introduced to these drugs after surgery or as a way of managing acute and chronic pain.