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A study suggests medicinal cannabis is not as effective at relieving chronic non-cancer pain as commonly assumed. Researchers at UNSW Sydney have found no clear role for cannabis in treating chronic non-cancer pain. Participants who were using cannabis reported over a series of assessments they were experiencing greater pain and anxiety, were coping less well with their pain, and reported that pain was interfering more in their life, compared to those not using cannabis.
There was no clear evidence that cannabis reduced pain severity or pain interference. Researchers examined the effect of cannabis on participants’ pain, on the extent to which pain interfered with their everyday life, and on their prescribed opioid use. The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has been increasing worldwide, and chronic non-cancer pain is the most common reason for medicinal use.
Participants completed comprehensive assessments of their pain, physical and mental health, medication and cannabis use annually. They had been in pain for a median of 10 years and taken prescribed opioids for their pain for a median of four years. There were very high rates of physical and mental health problems.
In the study of people living with chronic non-cancer pain who were prescribed pharmaceutical opioids, despite reporting perceived benefits from cannabis use, researchers found no strong evidence that cannabis use reduced pain.
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