Road accidents and marijuana don’t mix well

According to hospital tracking data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 2 million Americans and Canadians are injured each year from popular summertime activities. Everyone wants to go out and try something fun. Biking, hiking, bouldering, pickleball, tennis and more get us on our feet and out. While fun and healthy, it’s also an invitation to scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Rash is a common injury that occurs in young children and becomes a part of everyday life as they get older.

What is traffic accident? It happens to your skin when it is scraped off a hard surface or comes into contact with a smooth surface for an extended period of time. For example, falling on the treadmill, off the bike, or falling on the pickle ball court can cause a rash on the road. An open wound that needs time to heal and allow the skin to grow back over the exposed body. But does marijuana help with traffic accidents or wounds?

Marijuana can definitely help with pain management and inflammation. Research suggests that the THC in medical marijuana helps us manage pain and stress by reducing inflammation at the site of injury and modulating pain signals on their way to the brain.

BUT it is not clear that it helps in traffic accidents for several reasons. No significant research has been done on the subject, but one study showed that it had no effect on the open wound healing process.

If you apply a topical THC cream to the wound before covering it with a bandage, make sure to check within a day if it helps. A little research suggests it might help, but nothing has been proven and you don’t want to leave unnecessary scars.

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Traditional smoking of cannabis, joints, pre-rolls, bongs, and bowls is also not helpful. While it might help manage pain like ibuprofen, the carbon monoxide in cannabis smoke inhibits blood oxygenation and reduces blood flow, which can lead to tissue death, more scarring, and slower wound healing.

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The best way to treat a road rash is to clean the injury thoroughly and then apply an antibiotic ointment such as bacitracin or neosporin. This will help kill any harmful bacteria that may have come into contact with your wound. Apply the ointment carefully so as not to cause further bleeding. Cover the road rash with a clean bandage. Make sure the wound stays moist and covered until the wound is completely covered with new skin. An exposed cut captures dirt and debris from the air. A wound that heals in a moist environment will leave fewer scars.