Synthetic Cannabinoids May Help Ease Chronic Pain

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A large review of 25 high-quality clinical trials, led by researchers from Oregon Health & Science University and involving data on over 2,300 adults, recently looked at whether cannabis-based products help with chronic pain. The findings suggest that oral products with higher levels of THC (the compound that causes a “high”) may provide modest short-term pain relief, especially for nerve-related (neuropathic) pain, as well as slight improvements in physical function.

Specifically, the review’s authors found that oral synthetic THC-only products slightly reduced pain overall. Of these, nabilone showed moderate benefit, while dronabinol showed little to none. Nabiximols (THC + CBD extracted from cannabis plants) slightly reduced pain but did not improve physical function. Although THC-containing products were linked to more side effects, such as dizziness, sedation, and nausea, low-THC or CBD-only products did not appear to meaningfully reduce pain.

More research is needed to determine the long-term effects of synthetic cannabis-based products on chronic pain.