There was an increased risk of non-serious AEs with cannabinoids compared with placebo .
Conclusions There was moderate evidence to support cannabinoids in treating chronic , non-cancer pain at 2 weeks .
Similar results were observed at later time points , but the confidence in effect is low .
There is little evidence that cannabinoids increase the risk of experiencing serious AEs , although non-serious AEs may be common in the short-term period following use
Background For patients with chronic , non-cancer pain , traditional pain-relieving medications include opioids , which have shown benefits but are associated with increased risks of addiction and adverse effects .
Medical cannabis has emerged as a treatment alternative for managing these patients and there has been a rise in the number of r and omized clinical trials in recent years ; therefore , a systematic review of the evidence was warranted .
Objective To analyze the evidence surrounding the benefits and harms of medical cannabinoids in the treatment of chronic , non-cancer-related pain .
Analgesic effect of the synthetic cannabinoid CT-3 on chronic neuropathic pain: a randomized controlled trial.
CONTEXT 1',1'dimethylheptyl-Delta8-tetrahydrocannabinol-11-oic acid ( CT-3 ) , a potent analog of THC-11-oic acid , produces marked antiallodynic and analgesic effects in animals without evoking the typical effects described in models of cannabinoids . Therefore , CT-3 may be an effective analgesic for poorly controlled resistant neuropathic pain . OBJECTIVE To examine the analgesic efficacy and safety of CT-3 in chronic neuropathic pain in humans . DESIGN AND SETTING R and omized , placebo-controlled , double-blind crossover trial conducted in Germany from May-September 2002 . PARTICIPANTS Twenty-one patients ( 8 women and 13 men ) aged 29 to 65 years ( mean , 51 years ) who had a clinical presentation and examination consistent with chronic neuropathic pain ( for at least 6 months ) with hyperalgesia ( n = 21 ) and allodynia ( n = 7 ) . INTERVENTIONS Patients were r and omized to two 7-day treatment orders in a crossover design . Two daily doses of CT-3 ( four 10-mg capsules per day ) or identical placebo capsules were given during the first 4 days and 8 capsules per day were given in 2 daily doses in the following 3 days . After a washout and baseline period of 1 week each , patients crossed over to the second 7-day treatment period . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Visual analog scale ( VAS ) and verbal rating scale scores for pain ; vital sign , hematologic and blood chemistry , and electrocardiogram measurements ; scores on the Trail-Making Test and the Addiction Research Center Inventory-Marijuana scale ; and adverse effects . RESULTS The mean differences over time for the VAS values in the CT-3-placebo sequence measured 3 hours after intake of study drug differed significantly from those in the placebo-CT-3 sequence ( mean [ SD ] , -11.54 [ 14.16 ] vs 9.86 [ 21.43 ] ; P = .02 ) . Eight hours after intake of the drug , the pain scale differences between groups were less marked . No dose response was observed . Adverse effects , mainly transient dry mouth and tiredness , were reported significantly more often during CT-3 treatment ( mean [ SD ] difference , -0.67 [ 0.50 ] for CT-3-placebo sequence vs 0.10 [ 0.74 ] for placebo-CT-3 sequence ; P = .02 ) . There were no significant differences with respect to vital signs , blood tests , electrocardiogram , Trail-Making Test , and Addiction Research Center Inventory-Marijuana scale . No carryover or period effects were observed except on the Trail-Making Test . CONCLUSIONS In this preliminary study , CT-3 was effective in reducing  chronic neuropathic pain  compared with placebo . No major adverse effects were observed
There was an increased risk of non-serious AEs with cannabinoids compared with placebo .
Conclusions There was moderate evidence to support cannabinoids in treating chronic , non-cancer pain at 2 weeks .
Similar results were observed at later time points , but the confidence in effect is low .
There is little evidence that cannabinoids increase the risk of experiencing serious AEs , although non-serious AEs may be common in the short-term period following use
Background For patients with chronic , non-cancer pain , traditional pain-relieving medications include opioids , which have shown benefits but are associated with increased risks of addiction and adverse effects .
Medical cannabis has emerged as a treatment alternative for managing these patients and there has been a rise in the number of r and omized clinical trials in recent years ; therefore , a systematic review of the evidence was warranted .
Objective To analyze the evidence surrounding the benefits and harms of medical cannabinoids in the treatment of chronic , non-cancer-related pain .