Chronic pain—pain that lasts for months or even years—can be extremely hard to manage. Many people living with this condition are now turning to cannabis-based products in hopes of finding relief. But do these products really work?
A large new review of medical studies offers some answers, showing both the potential benefits and the downsides of using cannabis for chronic pain.
This review looked at data from over 2,300 adults who took part in clinical trials testing different cannabis products. These products included different levels of two major compounds found in cannabis: THC and CBD.
THC is the part of cannabis that causes a “high,” while CBD does not cause intoxication and is often marketed for wellness and pain relief.
The researchers found that products with more THC than CBD may offer small, short-term improvements in pain and daily physical activities, especially for people with nerve-related pain, also known as neuropathic pain.
This kind of pain can cause burning, tingling, or sharp shooting feelings. However, these benefits were not very large and didn’t last long. Plus, they often came with unwanted side effects like dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea.
In contrast, cannabis products with low THC—including CBD-only options—did not appear to help much with reducing pain. This suggests that CBD by itself may not be effective for pain relief in most cases.
The study was led by researchers from Oregon Health & Science University and was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. It included 25 clinical trials, all of which were short-term and used placebos (fake treatments) to compare results fairly. These types of studies are considered high-quality because they help researchers clearly see how well a treatment works.
To organize the findings, the researchers grouped the cannabis products by how much THC and CBD they contained: high THC, balanced, or low THC. They also looked at whether the products were natural or made in a lab, and how they were used—such as by mouth (pills or sprays) or on the skin (lotions or creams).
One THC-only product, nabilone, seemed to help reduce pain a bit more than others. Another THC product, dronabinol, didn’t show much benefit. A mixed THC/CBD product called nabiximols slightly reduced pain but didn’t help people do daily activities like walking or working.
The review also found that the more THC a product had, the more likely it was to cause side effects. These included dizziness, tiredness, and nausea.
Most of the studies only followed participants for a short time, so we still don’t know much about how safe or effective these products are in the long run. Also, many cannabis products that people can buy today weren’t included in these studies, so their effects are still unknown.
An expert editorial from UCLA added that while some THC-based cannabis products might help certain patients, the results are inconsistent.
The editorial also warned that safety is a concern and more research is needed. They recommend that doctors, patients, and health leaders use caution and wait for stronger evidence before fully trusting cannabis-based treatments for chronic pain.
In short, some cannabis products with THC may offer small improvements for certain types of chronic pain, but they also carry risks. Products with little or no THC seem less helpful. Until more research is available, the use of cannabis for chronic pain should be considered carefully and discussed with a medical professional.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage your back pain, and Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to live pain-free with arthritis, and results showing common native American plant may help reduce diarrhea and pain.
The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
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