Cannabis extract found to be effective for lower back pain

Summary

A cannabis extract was tested as a treatment for chronic painCappi Thompson/Getty Images A drug derived from cannabis eases chronic lower back pain without serious side effects or signs of addiction, making it a potentially powerful alternative to existing pain medications. There are currently few treatment options for patients experiencing chronic pain, with many having to take opioids that come with a high risk of addiction. The experimental drug VER-01 is an extract from the cannabis plant containing 5 per cent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal active ingredient. In a clinical trial, 820 people with chronic lower back pain were randomly assigned to take VER-01 or a placebo for 12 weeks. At the end of this period, people taking the drug had a reduction in their pain scores of 1.9 on average on a scale of 0 to 10, while those taking a placebo had a 1.4-point reduction. There were no adverse events indicating a risk of withdrawal or abuse with the medication. The study is the most rigorous to date to show clinically proven and non-addictive cannabis-based treatment of chronic pain, reinforcing a growing interest in cannabis as a pain treatment. “It’s one of the first really high-quality studies for medical cannabis which many people, both researchers and patients, have been waiting for,” says Winfried Meissner at Jena University Hospital in Germany, a researcher on the study. “So far evidence is poor, past studies are of lower quality, fewer patients.” Those who took VER-01 also had significant improvements in sleep quality and physical function and most of the side effects were mild, including dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth and nausea. Patients gradually increased their dosage during the treatment period, taking up to 13 doses per day. The treatment was especially effective for back pain caused by nerve damage, known as neuropathic pain. Meissner says patients with chronic pain should always be treated first with physical therapy, but painkillers can help th...