Can medical cannabis relieve pain?
The ingredients tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) contained in cannabis can relieve pain. THC is said to have a mood-enhancing effect, which promises a positive effect on general well-being. Cannabis products interact with the body's cannabinoid receptors, which are said to reduce pain.
In addition to THC, the CBD contained in cannabis can also relieve patients' pain. In addition to pain relief, CBD also influences neurotransmitters and inflammatory processes in the body.
It can therefore have an anti-inflammatory effect, which has a positive effect on pain caused by inflammatory diseases. Therefore, cannabis is already often recommended by pain therapists as a complement to other treatments.
Current studies on the use of cannabis for pain
Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) show that medical cannabis is similarly effective as conventional medications for neuropathic pain. It was well tolerated, especially when used for short periods of time, for example, through low-dose vaporization or oral administration.
While the results are promising, they are limited by small sample sizes and the short duration of the studies. Therefore, the study notes that further research is needed to determine the effects of long-term medical cannabis use.
A systematic review examined four specific studies. Two of the studies examined the effects of cannabis on lower back pain, while two other studies focused on its effects on spinal cord injuries.
A total of 110 subjects participated in the studies, who took preparations based on THC, dronabinol, and nabilone for the study period. The studies demonstrated a positive effect of cannabis use on the subjects' back pain. Furthermore, no serious side effects were reported—long-term observations are lacking here, too.
Which cannabis can support pain therapies?
Different strains can be attributed different effects. For example, there are different types of cannabis that are said to be particularly effective against pain.
These include, among others: