Are Cannabinoids Useful to Relieve Chronic Pain?

Meta-analysis shows that some cannabis products are associated with short-term improvements in chronic neuropathic pain but also with dizziness and sedation.

With limited benefits (and overuse) of opioids for chronic pain, safe alternative pain treatments are needed. In this meta-analysis of 18 randomized, placebo-controlled trials and 7 cohort studies, researchers evaluated the benefits and harms of cannabinoids in ≈15,000 patients with chronic pain. Cannabis products were categorized by δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) ratio, route of administration (i.e., oral, topical, or sublingual), and source (i.e., plant based, synthetic, or extract). In most studies, patients had neuropathic pain, and all included trials were of short duration (1–6 months).

Synthetic products with high THC-to-CBD ratios (e.g., dronabinol, nabilone) and whole-plant–extracted products with comparable (≈1…