Medical Cannabis appears to increase the effectiveness of opiate-based pain treatment. The findings, based on a study by the University of California at San Francisco, indicated that adding medical cannabis to such treatments may reduce total opiate dosage.
The use of medical cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain may help patients reduce their dependence on opiates, according to the University of California at San Francisco. Nearly 80 million Americans experience chronic pain. That number is higher than those suffering from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined, as listed in the National Centers for Health Statistics.
Reporting on the study, the Science Daily website noted that the use of the main ingredient in medical cannabis – cannabinoids – provides additional pain relief when combined with opiates. It also may contribute to reduced opiate dosages when used in combination.
Chronic pain, one of the researchers associated with the UCSF study said, is one of the least manageable challenges facing the medical community. The study, the first of its kind, focused on the interaction between medical cannabis and opiates in humans. Previous studies found similar results in animals.
Researchers stressed that the purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of adding medical cannabis to opiate pain treatment, rather than focusing on the effectiveness of the cannabinoids alone. As such, long-acting oxycodone and long-acting morphine were supplemented with the substance via inhalation or through a vaporizer.
A total of 21 patients suffering from chronic pain participated in the study, which took place at the Clinical Research Center at San Francisco General Hospital. Ten of the patients added medical cannabis to sustained-released morphine, with 11 using the substance in combination with oxycodone.
According to the study, the group using medical cannabis in combination with morphine experienced a 33 percent reduction in pain. The oxycodone group reported a reduction in pain of 20 percent.
One benefit of combining medical cannabis with opiates is the possibility of reducing dosage over the long term. Opiates, while effective and powerful pain reducers, also tend to be highly addictive.
The findings of the study present the opportunity for future studies on variant strains of cannabis to determine their effectiveness. Such studies may also prove effective in narrowing down the active pain-relief ingredient. This, in turn, could lead to efficient use of medical cannabis that avoids the “high” created by THC. Overall, cannabis contains 70 different compounds, all similar to Delta 9 TCH, but with varying effects. Currently, researchers believe that cannabidiol, or CBD, holds the most promise for providing pain relief without the accompanying mental impairment.
Doctors associated with the study hope to conduct a study comparing stains of medical cannabis containing high CBD versus stains with high CBD.
In general, research regarding the use of medical cannabis in pain treatment is growing quickly. Some researchers have expressed concern about the quality of cannabis available for studies. No formal regulations have been set down by the FDA, and, to date the FDA has avoided monitoring medical cannabis. While numerous states have allowed dispensaries to be set up, the administration of such sites is still in its infancy. Criminal activity remains a concern, as is quality control.