This needs further investigation. Some mothers in Jamaica make poultices of marijuana to put on the gums of teething babies. Those who told me about it swear to its efficacy.

It seems to work much better if you smoke it, although who knows what the effects on the lungs are. I have had chronic back pain since 1992. I had a dependency problem with opiates and my tolerance grew so rapidly that they became unfeasible and unhealthy to use. A couple of puffs on a marijuana cigarette seems to really help though, and makes my wife's reality TV shows much more interesting.

Important that there is mention of the fact that chronic pain is a different animal than the acute variety as treated in the study. I am a firm believer in the cautionary approach to being truly objective in looking at research and searching for answers. We have evolved with a receptor site that accepts the THC alkaloid. As is the case with endorphins, the exogenous substances (heroin, morphine, synthetic opiates) bind in a very different way and hold on much longer thus creating a very different effect. Substance abuse of all kinds seems to occur when the appropriate, indeed "normal" response crosses the line of therapeutic use and becomes abuse. I believe that the disconnect many feel in our culture today creates an overwhwemimg need for many to use some form of "anesthesia". The ability to find and engage our own endogenous resources will be a key point in any recovery. Regarding the Rx'ing of acute sunburn pain with what I presume is Marinol, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for them and a different group of pain sufferers might yield some more valid results.