Scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Stanford University have developed a synthetic compound that mimics the pain-relieving effects of cannabis—without causing addiction or mind-altering side effects.
The breakthrough, published in Nature, could provide a safe alternative to opioids, which remain the primary treatment for chronic pain despite their high risk of addiction and overdose.
Why a New Painkiller Is Needed
Chronic pain affects 50 million people in the U.S., and opioids—though effective—are highly addictive because they act on the brain’s reward system, triggering the release of dopamine (the “feel-good” chemical). In 2022, opioid-related deaths in the U.S. reached 82,000, underscoring the urgent need for safer pain relief options.
For centuries, people have used marijuana to treat pain, but its psychoactive effects (such as mood changes and cognitive impairment) make it unsuitable as a mainstream medical treatment. Researchers set out to create a cannabis-based drug that provides pain relief without altering mood or causing addiction.
How the New Compound Works
The team modified a cannabinoid molecule so that it:
- Binds to pain receptors (CB1) outside the brain while avoiding the brain itself, preventing psychoactive effects.
- Relieves chronic pain in mice without losing effectiveness over time—a major problem with opioids.
- Uses a newly discovered hidden binding pocket on CB1 receptors, which helps prevent the development of drug tolerance.
Co-first author Dr. Vipin Rangari explains:
“We designed a cannabinoid molecule with a positive charge, preventing it from crossing into the brain while allowing it to activate pain-relieving receptors in the body.”
Promising Results in Mice
The new compound was tested in mice with nerve-injury pain and migraine headaches. Researchers used touch hypersensitivity as a measure of pain and found that:
- The compound completely eliminated pain responses.
- Mice did not develop tolerance to the drug, even with twice-daily treatments for nine days.
This is a major advantage over opioids, which often require increasing doses over time as patients develop tolerance.
The Road Ahead
The researchers plan to develop the compound into an oral medication that can be tested in clinical trials. If successful, this drug could provide long-term pain relief without the risks of addiction, overdose, or psychoactive effects.
Dr. Susruta Majumdar, the study’s senior author, emphasizes:
“There is an urgent need for nonaddictive pain treatments. This compound has the potential to revolutionize chronic pain management.”
With further testing and clinical trials, this discovery could mark a major step forward in finding safer alternatives to opioids for millions of people suffering from chronic pain.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage gout with a low-purine diet, and a guide to eating right for arthritis.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the link between processed foods and chronic diseases, and avoid these 8 foods to ease arthritis pain.
The research findings can be found in Nature.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
