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Boulder, CO: The consumption of cannabis-infused edible products, particularly those that are higher in THC content, provides acute relief for patients with chronic lower back pain, according to data published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.
Researchers with the University of Colorado at Boulder assessed the ad libitum use of three distinct edible products (THC-dominant products, CBD-dominant products, or products containing similar amounts of THC and CBD) in 249 subjects with low back pain. Participants consumed the products for two weeks. Researchers evaluated changes in patients’ pain intensity and subjective mood, which were assessed at the conclusion of the study.
“Pain intensity following edible cannabis use decreased over time across all three broadly defined product groups,” investigators reported. Decreases in pain intensity were most pronounced in patients who consumed THC-dominant edibles. CBD-dominant products were “primarily associated with short-term tension relief” rather than significant reductions in acute pain.
The study’s authors concluded: “These findings support the short-term analgesic effects of THC and anxiolytic effects of CBD … [and] indicate that edible cannabis may be a safe and suitable alternative pain therapy for those looking to substitute more traditional pain medications.”
Longitudinal data published in 2022 determined that patients suffering from chronic back pain reduce their use of prescription opioids and report improvements in their condition following medical cannabis treatment.
Full text of the study, “Edible cannabis for chronic low back pain: Associations with pain, mood, and intoxication,” appears in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology. Additional information on cannabis and chronic pain is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.
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