Medical marijuana has \u201cgenuine therapeutic effects for pain management,\u201d and the degree of relief provided by cannabis can be predicted by their specific chemical profile\u2014including not only cannabinoids but also, crucially, terpenoids\u2014according to a newly published study employing machine learning methods.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a conclusion that researchers say provides \u201cevidence for compound-specific therapeutic effects.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese results highlight the importance of considering the full range of cannabis compounds when developing more precise and effective cannabis-based therapies for pain management,\u201d says the report, published in the journal Communications Medicine.<\/p>\n
It also furthers the notion that at least some combinations of the many compounds in cannabis work in concert to provide heightened relief\u2014a concept known as the entourage effect.<\/p>\n
An underlying goal of the research was contribute to the ongoing scientific debate \u201cwhether cannabis truly reduces pain or if patients feel better simply because they expect it to work (placebo effect),\u201d authors explained. To do that, they looked at 329 medical marijuana patients and analyzed the chemical makeup of the products they used.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found that patients\u2019 pain improvement could be predicted from the chemical content of their cannabis, even though patients didn\u2019t know what chemicals they were receiving,\u201d the team wrote. \u201cThis suggests that cannabis provides real pain relief beyond just patient expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cPain relief can be predicted from cannabis chemical profiles that are unknown to patients, providing evidence for compound-specific therapeutic effects.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
One notable finding in the new research is that primary cannabinoids THC and CBD offered only \u201climited predictive value\u201d of a product\u2019s pain relieving effects. Other minor compounds, specifically alpha-Bisabolol and eucalyptol, instead emerged as \u201ckey predictors of treatment response.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn unexpected finding was the relatively minimal impact of well-known cannabinoids such as THC and CBD on pain relief outcomes, which stands in contrast to popular belief and previous reports,\u201d the study says. \u201cWhile THC and CBD are often highlighted for their therapeutic potential, our analysis revealed other compounds, including \u03b1-Bisabolol and eucalyptol, as more influential in the context of pain relief.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for the entourage effect, the report suggests that \u201cspecific combinations of compounds\u201d work better at managing pain than individual chemical components.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThese findings show that medical cannabis has genuine therapeutic effects for pain management.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cThe complex relationship we observed between cannabis composition and pain relief helps explain why previous studies focusing on individual compounds have often shown mixed results,\u201d the study says. \u201cOur analysis suggests that therapeutic effects emerge from specific combinations of compounds working in concert, rather than from any single component.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis complexity in [medical cannabis\u2019s] mechanism of action emphasizes the importance of considering the full chemical profile when investigating cannabis therapeutic properties,\u201d it adds.<\/p>\n
Overall, researchers\u2014a six-person team from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel\u2014said the findings also provide further evidence of medical marijuana\u2019s analgesic properties.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that treatment outcomes were predictable from chemical composition supports the growing body of evidence for genuine pharmacological analgesia,\u201d they wrote, \u201cwhile acknowledging that expectation and context effects also contribute to therapeutic outcomes in clinical practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOur study provides compelling evidence that the efficacy of [medical cannabis] in pain relief is not merely a placebo response but is strongly influenced by its diverse chemical composition.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The new paper<\/a> contributes to a growing body of research supporting the use of marijuana as treatment for pain.<\/p>\n
For example, a study published recently in the journal Pharmacy found that patients with chronic pain who used marijuana for at least one year \u201cexhibited significantly lower healthcare utilization\u201d<\/a> compared to non-users, reporting fewer visits to urgent care and emergency departments (EDs) as well as a higher quality of life.<\/p>\n
Hospitalization rates were also lower among chronic pain patients who used medical marijuana, the report found, though not enough to be statistically significant.<\/p>\n
\u201cExposure [to cannabis] was associated with a 2.0 percentage point reduction in urgent care visits, a 3.2 percentage point reduction in ED visits and fewer unhealthy days per month,\u201d said the report, authored by researchers at the Miami-based cannabis telehealth company Leafwell and George Mason University in Virginia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe findings of this study suggest, in line with existing research, that medical cannabis is likely an effective treatment option for patients with chronic pain,\u201d authors wrote. \u201cThis underscores the potential for not only [quality of life] gains associated with medical cannabis use, but also positive downstream effects on the healthcare system resulting from treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another study published earlier this year found that more than 8 in 10 patients who used medical marijuana reported it to be a useful tool for pain management<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Published in May in the journal Cureus, the report stemmed from a survey of 129 people who were medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania between October 2022 and December 2024. It said it \u201cprovides important insights into the real-world patterns, perceived efficacy, and cognitive effects of medical cannabis use among individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain who employ cannabis regularly over extended periods.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOver 80 percent of patients who turned to medical cannabis found it effective for managing their pain,\u201d co-author Mohammad Khak, a researcher at the Rothman Opioid Foundation, said in a press release at the time.<\/p>\n
Past research has suggested that a variety of cannabinoids\u2014including CBD and others\u2014may help ease pain symptoms. A study published in February, for example, found that\u00a0marijuana and its cannabinoid components may be useful treatments for various types of chronic pain<\/a>, in some cases helping to reduce the use of other medications<\/p>\n
The paper also said select mixtures of cannabinoids\u2014such as cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabigerol (CBG)\u2014could have other benefits, including minimizing undesirable effects like the psychoactivity of THC.<\/p>\n
All told, more than 180 different cannabinoids have now been isolated from the cannabis plant, the report noted, often interacting with different parts of the body. CBD and THC, for example, \u201chave a wide potential for therapeutic effects based on their multiple molecular targets including ion channels, receptors, transporters and enzymes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two most abundant and studied cannabinoids, THC and CBD, along with an understudied cannabinoid, cannabigerol (CBG), have been shown, in our laboratories, to reduce neuropathic pain in animal models,\u201d authors wrote, recommending that further study \u201cinto cannabinoids like THC, CBD and CBG should focus on the optimal therapeutic doses and the effects these cannabinoids can have on the management of chronic neuropathic pain in humans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Separate research published earlier this year in the journal Pain found that\u00a0marijuana was \u201ccomparatively more effective than prescription medications\u201d for treating chronic pain<\/a>\u00a0after a three-month period, and that many patients reduced their use of opioid painkillers while using cannabis.<\/p>\n
The analysis \u201cwas able to determine, using causal inference techniques, that use of medical marijuana for chronic pain under medical supervision is at least as effective and potentially more effective in relationship to patients with chronic pain treated by prescription medications (nonopioid or opioid),\u201d said the report, by authors at the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard Medical School and the National Cancer Institute.<\/p>\n
A recent federally funded study, meanwhile, found that\u00a0legalization of marijuana in U.S. states is associated with reduced prescriptions for opioid pain medications<\/a>\u00a0among commercially insured adults\u2014indicating a possible substitution effect where patients are choosing to use cannabis instead of prescription drugs to treat pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese results suggest that substitution of cannabis for traditional pain medications increases as the availability of recreational cannabis increases,\u201d authors of that report wrote, noting that there \u201cappears to be a small shift once recreational cannabis becomes legal, but we see stronger results once users can purchase cannabis at recreational dispensaries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReductions in opioid prescription fills stemming from recreational cannabis legalization may prevent exposure to opioids in patients with pain,\u201d the paper, published in the journal Cannabis, continues, \u201cand lead to decreases in the number of new opioid users, rates of opioid use disorder, and related harms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other recent research also showed a decline in fatal opioid overdoses in jurisdictions where marijuana was legalized for adults. That study found a\u00a0\u201cconsistent negative relationship\u201d between legalization and fatal overdoses, with more significant effects in states that legalized cannabis earlier<\/a>\u00a0in the opioid crisis. Authors estimated that recreational marijuana legalization \u201cis associated with a decrease of approximately 3.5 deaths per 100,000 individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur findings suggest that broadening recreational marijuana access could help address the opioid epidemic,\u201d that report said. \u201cPrevious research largely indicates that marijuana (primarily for medical use) can reduce opioid prescriptions, and we find it may also successfully reduce overdose deaths.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFurther, this effect increases with earlier implementation of [recreational marijuana legalization],\u201d it added, \u201cindicating this relationship is relatively consistent over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another recently published report into prescription opioid use in Utah following the state\u2019s\u00a0legalization of medical marijuana<\/a>\u00a0found that the availability of legal cannabis both reduced opioid use by patients with chronic pain and helped drive down prescription overdose deaths statewide. Overall, results of the study indicated that \u201ccannabis has a substantial role to play in pain management and the reduction of opioid use,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
Yet another study, published in 2023, linked medical marijuana use to\u00a0lower pain levels and reduced dependence on opioids<\/a>\u00a0and other prescription medications. And another, published by the American Medical Association (AMA) last February, found that chronic pain patients who received medical marijuana for longer than a month\u00a0saw significant reductions in prescribed opioids<\/a>.<\/p>\n
About\u00a0one in three chronic pain patients reported using cannabis<\/a>\u00a0as a treatment option, according to a 2023 AMA-published report. Most of that group said they used cannabis as a substitute for other pain medications, including opioids.<\/p>\n
Other research published that year found that\u00a0letting people buy CBD legally significantly reduced opioid prescription rates<\/a>, leading to 6.6 percent to 8.1 percent fewer opioid prescriptions.<\/p>\n
A 2022 research paper that analyzed Medicaid data on prescription drugs, meanwhile, found that legalizing marijuana for adult use was associated with\u00a0\u201csignificant reductions\u201d in the use of prescription drugs<\/a>\u00a0for the treatment of multiple conditions.<\/p>\n
A 2023 report\u00a0linked state-level medical marijuana legalization to reduced opioid payouts to doctors<\/a>\u2014another datapoint suggesting that patients use cannabis as an alternative to prescription drugs when given legal access.<\/p>\n
Researchers in another study, published last year, looked at opioid prescription and mortality rates in Oregon, finding that\u00a0nearby access to retail marijuana moderately reduced opioid prescriptions<\/a>, though they observed no corresponding drop in opioid-related deaths.<\/p>\n
Other recent research also indicates that cannabis may be an effective substitute for opioids in terms of pain management.<\/p>\n
A report published recently in the journal BMJ Open, for instance, compared medical marijuana and opioids for chronic non-cancer pain and\u00a0found that cannabis \u201cmay be similarly effective and result in fewer discontinuations than opioids,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0potentially offering comparable relief with a lower likelihood of adverse effects.<\/p>\n
Separate research published found that more than half (57 percent) of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain said cannabis was more effective than other analgesic medications, while 40 percent reported\u00a0reducing their use of other painkillers since they began using marijuana<\/a>.<\/p>\n
In Minnesota, meanwhile, a state government report this year on chronic pain patients enrolled in the state\u2019s medical marijuana program said recently that\u00a0participants \u201care finding a noticeable change in pain relief\u201d within a few months of starting cannabis treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The large-scale study of nearly 10,000 patients also shows that nearly a quarter who were taking other pain relievers reduced the use of those drugs after using medical marijuana.<\/p>\n
Another new study on the use of medical marijuana by older patients\u2014age 50 and above\u2014concluded that\u00a0\u201ccannabis seemed to be a safe and effective treatment\u201d for pain and other conditions<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A separate presentation reviewing research on student athletes\u2019 use of cannabis recently found that\u00a0marijuana \u201chas demonstrated positive findings as an alternative for pain management among NCAA athletes.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n
Yet another study found that\u00a040 percent of military veterans suffering from chronic pain reported using marijuana to treat their symptoms<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Most of them said they use cannabis to deal with pain, mobility and sleep issues, while substantial numbers of veterans also said it helps with PTSD, anxiety and stress. Nearly all participants (98 percent) said healthcare providers should discuss the use of natural products with their patients.<\/p>\n
The post Medical Marijuana Effectively Treats Pain, With Terpenoids Being \u2018More Influential\u2019 Than THC Or CBD, Study Shows<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n
\nRead More: Medical Marijuana Effectively Treats Pain, With Terpenoids Being \u2018More Influential\u2019 Than THC Or CBD, Study Shows<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Medical marijuana has \u201cgenuine therapeutic effects for pain management,\u201d and the degree of relief provided by cannabis can be predicted by their specific chemical profile\u2014including not only cannabinoids but also, crucially, terpenoids\u2014according to a newly published study employing machine learning methods. It\u2019s a conclusion that researchers say provides \u201cevidence forContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,15462],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82726"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82726"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82727,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82726\/revisions\/82727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}