An 8-week randomized controlled trial will test whether dronabinol (synthetic THC) can reduce chronic pain and inflammation in sickle cell disease patients — a population with few good pain management options.
Sickle cell disease patients and families, hematologists, pain management specialists, and clinical trialists
What the researchers found
Protocol for an 8-week RCT of dronabinol for chronic SCD pain, with dual endpoints of pain reduction and inflammatory biomarker changes, positioned as an opioid alternative investigation.
Why it matters
Sickle cell disease patients suffer severe chronic pain with limited options beyond opioids — investigating THC as both an analgesic and anti-inflammatory addresses two drivers of SCD pain simultaneously.
The numbers in context
8-week duration; randomized double-blind placebo-controlled design; uses FDA-approved dronabinol; tracks both pain and inflammation biomarkers; targets patients with SCD and chronic pain.
How the study worked
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 8-week study of FDA-approved dronabinol (synthetic THC) for chronic pain in sickle cell disease patients, tracking both pain outcomes and inflammatory biomarkers.
What this study cannot tell us
Protocol publication only (no results yet); dronabinol is synthetic THC only (no CBD component); 8 weeks may be insufficient to assess long-term effects; chronic pain is notoriously difficult to study.
How to read the evidence
Published protocol for a well-designed RCT, but no results yet — significance lies in addressing a major unmet need with rigorous methodology.
When this study was published
Published in 2026, representing a novel approach to SCD pain management with cannabinoids.
The bigger picture
This trial could establish cannabinoids as an evidence-based alternative to opioids for SCD — a condition disproportionately affecting Black Americans who already face disparities in pain treatment.
Questions still open
- Will anti-inflammatory effects contribute to pain reduction beyond direct analgesic effects? Could whole-plant cannabis preparations outperform isolated THC for SCD pain?
Common questions
Can THC help with sickle cell disease pain?
Why study cannabinoids for sickle cell disease specifically?
Read the original research
Investigating the effects of cannabinoids for the reduction of inflammation and sickle cell disease pain (CRISP); A protocol for a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.
PloS one, 21(1), e0340917
Citation
Bellis, Jordan; Monk, Lydia; Jhawar, Ritika; Pollock, Galia; Liu, Angela; Jacobs-McFarlane, Charleen; McCrary, Brittany; Glassberg, Jeffrey; Curtis, Susanna. (2026). Investigating the effects of cannabinoids for the reduction of inflammation and sickle cell disease pain (CRISP); A protocol for a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.. PloS one, 21(1), e0340917. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340917
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