Most trials showed improvement in symptoms associated with cannabinoids but these associations did not reach statistical significance in all trials .
There was an increased risk of short-term AEs with cannabinoids , including serious AEs .
Common AEs included dizziness , dry mouth , nausea , fatigue , somnolence , euphoria , vomiting , disorientation , drowsiness , confusion , loss of balance , and hallucination .
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was moderate- quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity .
There was low- quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy , weight gain in HIV infection , sleep disorders , and Tourette syndrome .
Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term AEs
IMPORTANCE Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms , but their efficacy for specific indications is not clear .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the benefits and adverse events ( AEs ) of cannabinoids .
Efficacy of two cannabis based medicinal extracts for relief of central neuropathic pain from brachial plexus avulsion: results of a randomised controlled trial
& NA ; The objective was to investigate the effectiveness of cannabis‐based medicines for treatment of  chronic pain associated with brachial plexus root avulsion . This condition is an excellent human model of central neuropathic pain as it represents an unusually homogenous group in terms of anatomical location of injury , pain descriptions and patient demographics . Forty‐eight patients with at least one avulsed root and baseline pain score of four or more on an 11‐point ordinate scale participated in a r and omised , double‐blind , placebo‐controlled , three period crossover study . All patients had intractable symptoms regardless of current analgesic therapy . Patients entered a baseline period of 2 weeks , followed by three , 2‐week treatment periods during each of which they received one of three oromucosal spray preparations . These were placebo and two whole plant extracts of Cannabis sativa L. : GW‐1000‐02 ( Sativex ® ) , containing Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC):cannabidiol ( CBD ) in an approximate 1:1 ratio and GW‐2000‐02 , containing primarily THC . The primary outcome measure was the mean pain severity score during the last 7 days of treatment . Secondary outcome measures included pain related quality of life assessment s. The primary outcome measure failed to fall by the two points defined in our hypothesis . However , both this measure and measures of sleep showed statistically significant improvements . The study medications were generally well tolerated with the majority of adverse events , including intoxication type reactions , being mild to moderate in severity and resolving spontaneously . Studies of longer duration in neuropathic pain are required to confirm a clinical ly relevant , improvement in the treatment of this condition
Most trials showed improvement in symptoms associated with cannabinoids but these associations did not reach statistical significance in all trials .
There was an increased risk of short-term AEs with cannabinoids , including serious AEs .
Common AEs included dizziness , dry mouth , nausea , fatigue , somnolence , euphoria , vomiting , disorientation , drowsiness , confusion , loss of balance , and hallucination .
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was moderate- quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity .
There was low- quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy , weight gain in HIV infection , sleep disorders , and Tourette syndrome .
Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term AEs
IMPORTANCE Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms , but their efficacy for specific indications is not clear .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the benefits and adverse events ( AEs ) of cannabinoids .