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 .
A preliminary controlled study to determine whether whole-plant cannabis extracts can improve intractable neurogenic symptoms
Objectives : To determine whether plant-derived cannabis medicinal extracts ( CME ) can alleviate neurogenic symptoms unresponsive to st and ard treatment , and to quantify adverse effects . Design : A consecutive series of double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled single-patient cross-over trials with two-week treatment periods . Setting : Patients attended as out patients , but took the CME at home . Subjects : Twenty-four patients with multiple sclerosis ( 18 ) , spinal cord injury ( 4 ) , brachial plexus damage ( 1 ) , and limb amputation due to neurofibromatosis ( 1 ) . Intervention : Whole-plant extracts of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ) , cannabidiol ( CBD ) , 1:1 CBD : THC , or matched placebo were self-administered by sublingual spray at doses determined by titration against symptom relief or unwanted effects within the range of 2.5–120 mg/24 hours . Measures used : Patients recorded symptom , well-being and intoxication scores on a daily basis using visual analogue scales . At the end of each two-week period an observer rated severity and frequency of symptoms on numerical rating scales , administered st and ard measures of disability ( Barthel Index ) , mood and cognition , and recorded adverse events . Results : Pain relief associated with both THC and CBD was significantly superior to placebo . Impaired bladder control , muscle spasms and spasticity were improved by CME in some patients with these symptoms . Three patients had transient hypotension and intoxication with rapid initial dosing of THC-containing CME . Conclusions : Cannabis medicinal extracts can improve neurogenic symptoms unresponsive to st and ard treatments . Unwanted effects are predictable and generally well tolerated . Larger scale studies are warranted to confirm these findings
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 .