Chronic pain accompanying a variety of conditions is an important issue when it comes to the provision of healthcare services. In order to deal with it, doctors traditionally prescribe opioid analgesics or, in other words, painkillers, and this method has both benefits and drawbacks (Volkow et al., 2018). It is advantageous mostly from the point of view of their availability (Volkow et al., 2018). As for the drawbacks, they primarily relate to the limited effectiveness of these medications in the long term, and they often result in opioid-related addictions or even overdose deaths (Volkow et al., 2018). The consideration of both pros and cons of the method leads to controversy, and specialists are attempting to replace these substances with other medications that can potentially be better for patients with chronic pain.
The alternative to opioids is medical marijuana, but its use is also controversial from the perspective of safety. It is clear that this substance brings benefits in relieving chronic neuropathic pain even though its prevailing effectiveness over currently marketed medications is not proved yet (Hall, 2020). However, its side effects seem to outweigh the usefulness of such treatment due to numerous risks, which include confusion, sedation, dizziness, intoxication, and worsening psychoses (Hall, 2020). Hence, this method is not perfect either and requires consideration.
Having compared the pros and cons of opioids and marijuana for the treatment of chronic pain resulting from specific conditions, I would say that opioids are still favorable. Their use has already been extensively studied by researchers, and it implies fewer side effects than marijuana. Moreover, the drawbacks associated with the prescription of opioids can be easily compensated by their proper management and medical assistance. Thus, painkillers seem to be safer for patients who require such treatment.
References
Hall, B. H. (2020). Medical marijuana for chronic pain. In B. H. Hall (Ed.), Evaluation and management of chronic pain for primary care. Springer.
Volkow, N., Benveniste, H., & McLellan, A. T. (2018). Use and misuse of opioids in chronic pain. Annual Review of Medicine, 69, 451-465. Web.