Medical Cannabis Reduced Pain and Improved Sleep in People on Opioid Addiction Treatment | Research

The takeaway

Adults with opioid use disorder on buprenorphine who added medical cannabis saw reduced pain and better sleep, but no significant change in opioid cravings or illicit use.

People interested in how medical cannabis intersects with opioid addiction treatment and chronic pain management.

Pain severity dropped from 5.18 to 4.39, and quality of life improved in 7 of 8 domains

What the researchers found

Over three months, participants taking a 1:1 THC:CBD capsule alongside buprenorphine/naloxone reported significant decreases in pain severity, improved sleep quality, and better quality of life across seven of eight domains. However, illicit opioid use rates and opioid cravings did not change significantly.

Why it matters

People being treated for opioid addiction frequently deal with chronic pain, and undertreated pain can drive relapse. This study suggests medical cannabis may help with pain and quality of life in this population, though it did not reduce illicit opioid use in this small sample.

The numbers in context

Pain severity dropped from 5.18 to 4.39 (p<0.05). Sleep quality improved from 12.38 to 10.95 (p<0.05). Quality of life improved in 7 of 8 domains. Illicit opioid-positive urine tests dropped from 16% to 5%, but this was not statistically significant. Opioid cravings showed no significant change (2.15 to 1.78, p=0.49).

How the study worked

Observational study of 47 adults with opioid use disorder and chronic pain (minimum 5/10 severity) already receiving buprenorphine/naloxone. Participants were offered a discounted 5mg THC:5mg CBD daily oral capsule and assessed at baseline and three months using validated scales and urine drug screening.

What this study cannot tell us

Very small sample (47 participants) with no control group. Participants self-selected into the study. Three-month follow-up is short. The discounted medication may have influenced participation and adherence.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: small observational study with no control group and short follow-up period.

When this study was published

2025 study using data from 2022-2023.

The bigger picture

This adds to growing interest in whether cannabis-based treatments might complement medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, particularly for managing chronic pain that often co-occurs with substance use disorders.

Questions still open

Would a longer follow-up show different results for opioid cravings? How do different THC:CBD ratios affect outcomes? Would a randomized controlled trial confirm these preliminary findings?

Common questions

Did medical cannabis help people stop using illicit opioids?

Positive urine tests for illicit opioids dropped from 16% to 5%, but this change was not statistically significant in this small sample.

What type of cannabis product was used?

A 1:1 THC:CBD oral capsule at 5mg of each cannabinoid per day.

Read the original research

Clinical and psychosocial changes in adults with opioid use disorder and chronic pain using medical cannabis: a brief report.

Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 36

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Lent, Michelle R; Keen, Ryan; Ruiz, Michael; Callahan, Hannah R; Galluzzi, Katherine E; Dugosh, Karen L. (2025). Clinical and psychosocial changes in adults with opioid use disorder and chronic pain using medical cannabis: a brief report.. Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00297-5