Pain clinic patients with neuropathic pain used THC/CBD products more frequently than those with other types of pain—suggesting nerve pain may drive more intensive cannabis self-medication.
People with neuropathic pain considering cannabis, pain medicine specialists, and medical cannabis researchers studying condition-specific use patterns.
What the researchers found
This study surveyed 104 adults at a pain clinic, comparing cannabis use patterns between those whose most bothersome pain was neuropathic (nerve-related, 36.5%) versus non-neuropathic (63.5%).
Patients with neuropathic pain reported significantly more days per month of THC/CBD product use compared to those with non-neuropathic pain. This wasn't random—it suggests that people with nerve pain, which is notoriously difficult to treat with standard medications, may be turning to cannabis more intensively because conventional options aren't working well enough.
Neuropathic pain includes conditions like diabetic neuropathy, post-surgical nerve damage, and sciatica. These conditions respond poorly to standard painkillers (including opioids) and are one of the areas where cannabis has shown the most promising anecdotal and clinical evidence.
The study used the ID-Pain tool to classify pain types, which provides a standardized way to distinguish neuropathic from non-neuropathic pain based on symptom characteristics rather than physician diagnosis alone.
Why it matters
If neuropathic pain specifically drives more intensive cannabis use, that has implications for both medical cannabis programs and pain clinic practice. It suggests cannabis may be filling a gap where conventional pain treatments fall short—and that research on cannabis for nerve pain specifically should be prioritized over general chronic pain research.
The numbers in context
N = 104 (61.5% female). 36.5% neuropathic pain, 63.5% non-neuropathic. Neuropathic pain patients used THC/CBD products significantly more days per month.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional survey of 104 adults (61.5% female) receiving care at a pain clinic. Pain categorized as neuropathic or non-neuropathic using ID-Pain scores. Cannabis product use assessed by frequency and duration. Linear regression models adjusted for age and sex.
Who was studied
N=104 adults aged 18-65, 61.5% female, receiving care at a pain clinic
What this study cannot tell us
Small sample from a single pain clinic. Cross-sectional design can't determine causation—people with neuropathic pain may use more cannabis because it works, because they're more desperate, or for other reasons. Self-reported cannabis use. The ID-Pain tool classifies pain type based on symptoms rather than confirmed diagnoses. No data on whether the cannabis actually helped with pain.
How to read the evidence
Small cross-sectional survey from a single clinic—hypothesis-generating but not able to establish whether cannabis is effective for nerve pain.
When this study was published
Published in 2025 with data from a U.S. pain clinic.
The bigger picture
This pattern-of-use data complements clinical trial evidence. RTHC-00158 showed that THC:CBD improved pain scores specifically in cancer patients (even without improving overall symptoms), and RTHC-00161 found that medical marijuana access reduced strong opioid prescriptions after cancer surgery. Together, these studies suggest cannabis may have a particular niche in pain management—not as a general analgesic, but as a targeted option for pain types that respond poorly to other treatments.
Replication
Not stated in abstract.
Funding
Not reported in abstract.
Conflicts of interest
Not reported in abstract.
Questions still open
- Does more frequent cannabis use in neuropathic pain patients reflect genuine efficacy, or simply a more desperate search for relief? Would randomized trials of cannabis specifically in neuropathic pain show benefits that general chronic pain trials haven't? How do pain physicians view their patients' cannabis use?
Read the original research
Cross-sectional comparison of cannabis use in adults with neuropathic versus non-neuropathic pain.
Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 6, 1677391
Frontiers in Pain Research is a peer-reviewed journal focusing on pain management and treatment.
Citation
Laroya, Carl Joshua P; Smith, Crystal Lederhos; Bindler, Ross J; McDonell, Michael G; Lewis, Jamie; Wilson, Marian. (2025). Cross-sectional comparison of cannabis use in adults with neuropathic versus non-neuropathic pain.. Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 6, 1677391. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2025.1677391
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