Conclusions and Relevance Cannabinoid drugs may prevent the onset of pain by producing small increases in pain thresholds but may not reduce the intensity of experimental pain already being experienced ; instead , cannabinoids may make experimental pain feel less unpleasant and more tolerable , suggesting an influence on affective processes .
Cannabis-induced improvements in pain-related negative affect may underlie the widely held belief that cannabis relieves pain
Importance Cannabinoid drugs are widely used as analgesics , but experimental pain studies have produced mixed findings .
The analgesic properties of cannabinoids remain unclear .
Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta- analysis of the association between cannabinoid drug administration and experimental pain outcomes in studies of healthy adults .
Development and pharmacokinetic characterization of pulmonal and intravenous delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in humans.
The aim of the present study was to develop a physiologically compatible inhalation solution of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ) , and to compare the pharmacokinetic and analgesic properties of pulmonal THC versus pulmonal placebo and intravenous ( iv ) THC , respectively . Eight healthy volunteers were included in this r and omized , double-blind , crossover study . The aqueous THC formulations were prepared by using a solubilization technique . iv THC ( 0.053 mg/kg body weight ) , pulmonal THC ( 0.053 mg/kg ) , or a placebo inhalation solution was administered as single dose . At defined time points , blood sample s were collected , and somatic and psychotropic side effects as well as vital functions monitored . An ice water immersion test was performed to measure analgesia . Using a pressure-driven nebulizer , the pulmonal administration of the THC liquid aerosol result ed in high THC peak plasma levels within minutes . The bioavailability of the pulmonal THC was 28.7 + /- 8.2 % ( mean + /- SEM ) . The side effects observed after pulmonal THC were coughing and slight irritation of the upper respiratory tract , very mild psychotropic symptoms , and headache . The side effects after iv THC were much more prominent . Neither pulmonal nor iv THC significantly reduced experimentally induced pain
Conclusions and Relevance Cannabinoid drugs may prevent the onset of pain by producing small increases in pain thresholds but may not reduce the intensity of experimental pain already being experienced ; instead , cannabinoids may make experimental pain feel less unpleasant and more tolerable , suggesting an influence on affective processes .
Cannabis-induced improvements in pain-related negative affect may underlie the widely held belief that cannabis relieves pain
Importance Cannabinoid drugs are widely used as analgesics , but experimental pain studies have produced mixed findings .
The analgesic properties of cannabinoids remain unclear .
Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta- analysis of the association between cannabinoid drug administration and experimental pain outcomes in studies of healthy adults .