Loading...
Although states that have legalized medical marijuana generally permit treatment of pain as an accepted indication, there is little empirical support for this use. Investigators conducted a meta-analysis of data from 18 placebo-controlled trials to evaluate whether cannabis was effective as analgesia for experimental pain in 442 healthy people.
The meta-analysis demonstrated that cannabinoids (mostly plant-based or synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) produced a small rise in pain threshold (lowest intensity of pain perceived as painful), a small-to-medium increase in pain tolerance (most-intense pain that can be tolerated), and a reduction in pain unpleasantness (affective dimension of pain). THC had no significant impact on pain intensity…