Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
8-2021
ORCID
https://orcid.org/000-0003-4272-9564
Document Type
DNP Project
Department
Nursing
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Dr. Lynx McClellan
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Dr. Linda Gibson
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Dr. Molly Kuhle
Abstract
Abstract For thousands of years, medical cannabis has been used for relief of chronic pain and personal ailments. It changes users’ mental capacities and perceptions while treating and providing relief from pain and muscle spasms. As a recreational and spiritual substance, this Schedule I drug requires special consideration and certification to administer. Increasing complaints of chronic pain have led doctors to prescribe opioids for pain relief. As prescriptions for opioids have increased, the number of opioid-related mortality and morbidity incidents have also risen. The high rates of opioid-related near deaths and overdoses have led policy makers, clinicians, pharmacists, and providers to invest in medical marijuana as a more natural alternative. The purpose of this scholarly project was to describe the use of medical marijuana for the relief of chronic pain. The health belief model was used to guide this quantitative, descriptive, correlational study. The researcher used the Brief Pain Inventory to assess the use of medical marijuana for relief of chronic pain among 25 participants in one mid-eastern U.S. state. Participants were qualifying adults ages 18 to 80 seeking recertification for medical marijuana with the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission. Improved recognition of early pain management issues related to narcotics will aid providers in supporting alternative treatment measures using medical cannabis administration. Medical cannabis is safer and more effective than opioids, reducing harm to users and improving and increasing their quality of life. Keywords: marijuana, cannabis, opioid, THC
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Paylor, Jacquelyn M., "The Use of Medical Marijuana for the Relief of Chronic Pain" (2021). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 400.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/400