New Studies Show Cannabis Effective in Treating Back Pain
For many people, chronic back pain is a debilitating condition that can make everyday activities a struggle. While opioids are often prescribed to manage pain, they come with serious risks and side effects. Now, two new studies from Europe suggest that cannabis may be a safer and more effective alternative.
The studies, published in Nature Medicine and another journal, found that a blend of cannabis oil containing THC, CBD, and other natural compounds outperformed a placebo in reducing low back pain. The oil, called VER-01, was also compared to opioids in another study, and patients who took it experienced fewer gastrointestinal side effects and better pain relief over six months.
Dr. Richard Price, a spine surgeon at UC Davis, says the findings are “groundbreaking” and will be a cornerstone of the growing evidence base on cannabis and chronic pain. While cannabis remains a Schedule 1 drug in the US, the FDA is requiring the company that funded the studies to replicate the research in the US before it can be approved.
The studies’ lead author, Dr. Clemens Fischer, says that if politicians or the FDA want to speed up the approval process, the company is ready. The FDA has stated that it supports “rigorous, science-based research” to evaluate cannabis products.
The findings are significant, particularly for patients who are looking for an alternative to opioids. Dr. Kevin Boehnke, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Michigan, says that the study’s results validate previous research indicating that many people use cannabis instead of opioids because it is more effective and has fewer side effects.
While some experts are cautious about the findings, saying that the results may be specific to the particular compound tested, others are more optimistic. Dr. Simon Haroutounian, who directs research at the Washington University Pain Center, says that the study’s results are “remarkable” and suggest that cannabis may be a viable option for patients with chronic pain.
Proponents of medical cannabis point out that it has a safer profile than opioids, with no signs of dependency or withdrawal. The studies also found that patients who took cannabis did not experience the same level of side effects as those who took opioids.
For patients like Ellen Lenox Smith, who has used medical marijuana for nearly two decades to treat her own pain, the findings are a welcome development. Smith, who is a patient advocate, says that FDA approval of a cannabis product would give patients with chronic pain confidence in what they are using.
