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these immune system cells to disengage the noxious immune
response, thereby reducing inflammation, together with any
associated pain (13–15).
Mitigate Pain Signaling
Cannabis can reduce chronic pain by inhibiting pain signals at dif-
ferent points along pain signaling pathways to and from the brain.
As illustrated in Figure 3, stimulus in the body that triggers
a noxious response (say, in an injured finger) sends information
signals along peripheral nerves and through the spine, where
it is relayed as ascending input up to the brain. The brain then
processes those signals and sends pain signals as descending
signals back down to the spinal cord, which, in turn, relays the
pain signals through the periphery to the site (16).
Figure 1
Figure 2
