Many people around the world are turning to cannabis products to manage pain, hoping for a natural and safer alternative to traditional pain medicines.
As laws around cannabis have relaxed in many places, its use for medical reasons has become increasingly common. People use cannabis to help with chronic pain, arthritis, nerve pain, cancer-related pain, anxiety, and sleep problems.
However, despite its popularity, clear scientific evidence about how well cannabis works for pain has been limited and sometimes confusing.
A new large review of scientific studies has now taken a closer look at this issue. The review found that cannabis products with high levels of THC, the compound that causes the “high” feeling, may offer small short-term improvements in pain and physical function.
At the same time, these THC-heavy products were also linked to a higher chance of unpleasant side effects such as dizziness, feeling very sleepy, and nausea. On the other hand, products that mainly contain CBD, which does not cause a high, showed almost no meaningful benefit for pain relief.
This finding may surprise many people. CBD products are widely sold in shops and online, and many users believe they are effective for pain. CBD is often seen as safer because it does not change mood or thinking the way THC does.
However, according to this review, CBD on its own did not perform better than a placebo, which is a fake treatment used for comparison in clinical trials.
The review was led by Dr. Roger Chou and his team at Oregon Health & Science University. It was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and updated earlier work first released in 2022.
The researchers focused on high-quality studies known as randomized controlled trials, which are considered the gold standard in medical research. These trials compared cannabis-based products with placebos over short periods of time.
Cannabis is a complex plant. It contains many chemical compounds, including THC and CBD, as well as other substances that may influence how it affects the body.
These compounds interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in pain, mood, appetite, and sleep. Because cannabis products vary widely in how they are grown, processed, and consumed, studying their effects is challenging.
The review found the strongest evidence for two prescription drugs that contain only THC or THC-like compounds. These drugs, called dronabinol and nabilone, are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.
One of them is also approved to help people with HIV-related weight loss. In the studies reviewed, these THC-only products slightly reduced pain compared with placebo.
However, the improvement was modest. On a pain scale from zero to ten, the reduction was usually only about half a point to one point. This means that while some people may feel a small improvement, it is unlikely to be dramatic.
At the same time, people taking these products were much more likely to experience side effects, especially dizziness, sedation, and nausea. These effects could be serious for older adults or people who need to stay alert during the day.
The researchers also looked at how cannabis products were used. Most of the evidence came from oral products, such as pills or oils, rather than smoked or inhaled cannabis.
The medical community remains divided about cannabis use for pain. Some medical groups do not recommend inhaled cannabis because of concerns about lung health and unclear benefits. Other expert panels suggest cannabis may be considered only when standard treatments have failed.
At the end of the review, the researchers carefully analyzed what these findings mean. They concluded that THC-based products may provide small short-term pain relief, but the risks of side effects are significant and should not be ignored.
CBD-only products, despite their popularity, do not currently have strong scientific support for pain relief. The researchers stressed that more long-term studies are needed, especially to understand how cannabis products used in real-world dispensaries compare with those tested in clinical trials.
Overall, this study highlights the importance of separating public belief from scientific evidence. While cannabis may help some people with pain, it is not a miracle solution.
Patients should weigh the small benefits against the risks and talk with healthcare professionals before using these products. Clearer labeling, better research, and more honest public discussion will be essential as cannabis continues to be used for medical purposes.
If you care about pain, please read studies about Chronic morphine use for cancer pain may increase bone loss and findings of Scientists find a new hope for chronic pain.
If you care about pain, please read studies about What you need to know about diabetes and joint pain and findings of Understanding the connection between liver disease and joint pain.
The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
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