Individually Tailored Cannabis Extracts Improved Pain and Quality of Life in 29 Women | Research

The takeaway

In a retrospective study of 29 women with chronic pain syndromes, individually dosed full-spectrum cannabis extracts provided pain relief, improved cognition and sleep, and most reduced or stopped other medications.

pain management clinicians, women with chronic pain, medical cannabis prescribers

What the researchers found

All 29 patients reported some pain relief. Most reported improvements in cognitive function, motor abilities, professional activities, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality. Most reduced or ceased analgesic and psychiatric medications. No patients discontinued due to adverse effects. Optimal CBD-to-THC proportions varied considerably with no clear link to pain types.

Why it matters

Women experience chronic pain differently due to sex-specific differences in pain perception and cannabinoid pharmacology. This study focuses specifically on female patients with individually tailored dosing, an approach that may be more realistic than fixed-dose trials.

The numbers in context

29 female patients. All reported some pain relief. Most improved across cognitive, motor, mood, fatigue, and sleep domains. Most reduced or stopped analgesic and psychiatric medications. Zero discontinuations due to adverse effects. Optimal dosing varied considerably across patients.

How the study worked

Retrospective open-label cross-sectional study of 29 female chronic pain patients who received full-spectrum cannabis extracts with standardized compositions from patient-led civil societies. Individually tailored dosing based on clinical assessments. Outcomes via comprehensive online patient-reported survey.

What this study cannot tell us

No control group. Retrospective self-report. Only 29 patients. Patient-led civil society sourced products. Self-selected participants likely biased toward positive experiences. No standardized outcome measures.

How to read the evidence

Retrospective, uncontrolled study with self-selected patients and patient-reported outcomes only places this at preliminary evidence.

When this study was published

Recently published retrospective report.

The bigger picture

While this study suggests individualized dosing may be key to cannabis treatment success, the lack of a control group and retrospective design mean improvements could reflect placebo effects, natural fluctuation, or the extra attention from individualized care.

Questions still open

What determines the optimal CBD-to-THC ratio for individual patients?
Would a controlled trial replicate these broad improvements?

Common questions

Does cannabis work the same for all types of chronic pain?

The study found no clear link between optimal CBD-to-THC proportions and specific pain types, suggesting that individual response varies regardless of pain diagnosis.

Did patients stop their other medications?

Most reduced or ceased analgesic and psychiatric medications while using cannabis extracts, though this was done under clinical supervision with individualized dosing adjustments.

Read the original research

Full-spectrum cannabis extracts for women with chronic pain syndromes: a real-life retrospective report of multi-symptomatic benefits after treatment with individually tailored dosage schemes.

Frontiers in pharmacology, 16, 1538518

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Soares Silva, Patrícia Montagner; Medeiros, Wesley; Nogueira Borges, Clarissa; Brasil-Neto, Joaquim P; Lessa, Wilson; Ferreira de Oliveira E Silva, Ricardo; Caixeta, Fabio V; Malcher-Lopes, Renato. (2025). Full-spectrum cannabis extracts for women with chronic pain syndromes: a real-life retrospective report of multi-symptomatic benefits after treatment with individually tailored dosage schemes.. Frontiers in pharmacology, 16, 1538518. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1538518