Cannabidiol (CBD) is a component of the plant cannabis with great potential for medical applications because of its proven anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, analgesic (pain-relieving), and anxiolytic (anxiety-relieving) properties and its lack of psychological side effects. Although it is the most well-known, there are other plant-derived or synthetic cannabinoids with similar therapeutic properties as CBD. These compounds exert their beneficial effects by binding to and activating cannabinoid and cannabinoid-like receptors located on specific types of cells inside the body of not only humans, but also animals including cats.
In a recent study, scientists employed immunohistochemistry, a staining technique, to detect the presence of these receptors in feline gastrointestinal tract (GI) tissues. They found that  canonical cannabinoid receptors - namely CB1R, CB2R - and cannabinoid-like receptors - such as GPR55, PPARalpha, TRPA1, and 5-HT1aR - are widely distributed in many cells of the cat GI tract, which suggests that they are likely abundant in the human GI tract as well. When cannabinoids like CBD interact with these receptors, they presumably can reduce pain and inflammation. Although more research is underway to confirm such a conclusion, the novel finding of this study already strongly supports the use of cannabis to treat gut pain and discomfort.
In the quest for relief from the burdens of cancer treatment, individuals often turn to cannabis, seeking answers amidst the chaos of symptoms.
The lack of pain relief combined with the risk of dangerous side effects, including death, has led to a need for alternative options to help treat chronic pain. Recently, there has been growing interest in the possibility that cannabis may be useful in combination or as a substitute for opioids in people with chronic pain.
Despite conflicting evidence, for many patients with chronic pain, the risk of using opioids may be greater than the benefits, especially over long periods of time. It is important that patients wishing to understand the potential benefits and risks of using cannabis in addition to opioids discuss this with their health care provider prior to use.
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