Years and years ago, in my young and wilder days, (ha ha, who am I kidding? I was never that wild!)
anyway, I found that marijuana helped a GREAT DEAL with chronic headaches and trigeminal neuralgia pains, as well as reduced pain and inflammation from tooth abscess.

Then I became a parent, and have not indulged since. I've frequently wondered if it might help the pain I am in now (from back injury) but am not willing to risk my family, etc, in breaking the law as it currently is here is Kansas.

I've heard on other boards, etc, that marijuana can be simmered in a fat based product like butter, to be used in recipes and similarly can be melted into a base for a topical application- which is more what would interest me, with less side effects than smoking or ingestion.

I've tried it, by smoking & I was able to cut my pain med usage in half, but when subjected to urine tests & it's illegal here in Iowa, I can't take the chance. Although am now having liver trouble from the meds, been diagnosed with RSDS since 1988, you'd think they;d come to their senses & allow the use of marijuana for pain management.

It helps, but nothing for me takes away the pain, not the painkillers, not weed, nothing. These meds just help take the edge off a bit. In my opinion that is all I can hope for so I make the best of it.

In states where it is illegal and/or where one doesn't want to take a chance, one might ask their doc for a precription of marinol if their symptoms and condition permit such a medicine. It's generic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and will work pretty well. Try to get the highest dose, but don't drive on it.

Marinol was created for treating post-chemo issues such as nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. I don't know that it was ever intended or expected to be a painkiller. It does not contain the exact same compounds as medical marijuana which are recognized to help with pain.