Current and upcoming cannabis-based pharmaceuticals for pain
Several cannabis-derived drugs are in development or already available for pain, including nabiximols (approved in Canada and Europe for MS-related spasticity and cancer pain) and newer synthetic cannabinoids targeting neuropathic pain.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Nabiximols, a specific cannabis extract, has demonstrated benefit for pain related to spasticity in multiple sclerosis, cancer pain, and chronic pain conditions. Epidiolex (CBD oral solution), approved in the US for epilepsy, may also offer pain relief. Investigational synthetic cannabinoids from companies like Cara Therapeutics and Zynerba Pharmaceuticals are targeting neuropathic pain and allodynia specifically.
Key Numbers
No specific trial data pooled. Review covered nabiximols (available in Canada and Europe), Epidiolex (available in US), and investigational drugs from Cara Therapeutics and Zynerba Pharmaceuticals.
How They Did This
Narrative review of currently available and developmental cannabis pharmaceutical derivatives for pain management.
Why This Research Matters
The shift from smoked cannabis to pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid products addresses the inconsistent delivery and dosing problems of smoking, potentially making cannabinoid therapy more precise and reliable.
The Bigger Picture
Pharmaceutical development of cannabinoids represents a move toward standardized, regulated products that could make cannabis-based pain treatment more mainstream and evidence-based.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Narrative review without systematic methodology. Many of the drugs discussed were still investigational at time of publication.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will pharmaceutical cannabinoids prove more effective than whole-plant cannabis for pain?
- ?How will pricing and access compare to state-legal cannabis?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Nabiximols approved in Canada and Europe for MS pain
- Evidence Grade:
- Narrative overview of a developing pharmaceutical field with varying levels of evidence for individual products.
- Study Age:
- 2019 review.
- Original Title:
- An Update of Current Cannabis-Based Pharmaceuticals in Pain Medicine.
- Published In:
- Pain and therapy, 8(1), 41-51 (2019)
- Authors:
- Urits, Ivan(3), Borchart, Matthew, Hasegawa, Morgan, Kochanski, Justin, Orhurhu, Vwaire, Viswanath, Omar
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02327
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research on a topic.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are there FDA-approved cannabis drugs for pain?
As of this review, nabiximols was approved in Canada and Europe (not the US) for pain related to MS spasticity and cancer. Epidiolex was FDA-approved for epilepsy but may have pain applications.
How are cannabis pharmaceuticals different from smoking cannabis?
Pharmaceutical cannabinoids offer controlled dosing, consistent delivery, and specific cannabinoid ratios, addressing the inconsistency of smoked cannabis.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02327APA
Urits, Ivan; Borchart, Matthew; Hasegawa, Morgan; Kochanski, Justin; Orhurhu, Vwaire; Viswanath, Omar. (2019). An Update of Current Cannabis-Based Pharmaceuticals in Pain Medicine.. Pain and therapy, 8(1), 41-51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-019-0114-4
MLA
Urits, Ivan, et al. "An Update of Current Cannabis-Based Pharmaceuticals in Pain Medicine.." Pain and therapy, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-019-0114-4
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "An Update of Current Cannabis-Based Pharmaceuticals in Pain ..." RTHC-02327. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/urits-2019-an-update-of-current
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.