Medical Cannabis Helped a Heart Patient Whose Pain Didn't Respond to Morphine | Research

The takeaway

A 63-year-old man with inoperable coronary artery disease and unstable angina unresponsive to morphine and standard medications experienced significant pain reduction and improved exercise tolerance after starting medical cannabis.

Cardiologists, pain management specialists, medical cannabis clinicians

Patient ceased long-term morphine after starting medical cannabis for refractory angina

What the researchers found

After failing all first- and second-line cardiac medications and morphine for unstable angina, a patient using edible 1:1 CBD:THC medical cannabis reported reduced frequency and severity of angina pain, discontinued long-term morphine, and showed improved functional capacity on exercise tolerance tests.

Why it matters

For patients with refractory angina who have exhausted conventional treatment options, this case raises the possibility that cannabis may offer supplementary pain relief, though controlled studies are needed.

The numbers in context

63-year-old male; 22-year cardiac history; inoperable triple-vessel CAD; 6 years of progressive unstable angina despite medical management; 1:1 CBD:THC edible; ceased long-term morphine; improved exercise tolerance test results.

How the study worked

Single case report of a 63-year-old male with complex cardiac history and inoperable triple-vessel coronary artery disease treated with edible medical cannabis in conjunction with standard cardiac care.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case report cannot establish efficacy or safety; placebo effect cannot be ruled out; cannabis carries its own cardiovascular risks; may not generalize to other patients.

How to read the evidence

Single case report providing preliminary evidence in a patient who had failed standard treatments.

When this study was published

Published in 2021.

The bigger picture

The endocannabinoid system's role in cardiovascular function, including vasodilation and cardioprotection during ischemia, provides a biological rationale for why cannabis might affect cardiac symptoms, but the complex cardiovascular risks of cannabis also warrant caution.

Questions still open

Could cannabis reduce morphine requirements in other refractory angina patients? What cardiovascular risks might cannabis pose in patients with existing CAD?

Common questions

Can cannabis help with heart-related chest pain?

This single case report described improvement in a patient with refractory angina after starting medical cannabis, but case reports cannot prove efficacy. Controlled trials are needed, especially given cannabis's own cardiovascular risks.

What form of cannabis was used?

The patient used an edible form with a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, taken in conjunction with his standard cardiac medications.

Read the original research

Application of medical cannabis in unstable angina and coronary artery disease: A case report.

Medicine, 100(11), e25172

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Shaffer, Brian L; Davis, Garrison M; Incitti, Marc A; Piper, Brian J; Entler, Brian V. (2021). Application of medical cannabis in unstable angina and coronary artery disease: A case report.. Medicine, 100(11), e25172. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000025172