Physician Advice

The following information is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to market any specific product.

The use of medical cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain is supported by a large and growing body of evidence. Recent nationally sponsored assessments have found that medical cannabis can be effective in not only treating the patient’s pain but also addressing their comorbid sleep and anxiety disturbances (See below, citations 1, 2).

While most research has focused on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive cannabinoid compound found in cannabis, recent research has shifted focus towards the non-psychoactive compound, cannabidiol (CBD). Interestingly, it has been suggested that co-administration of THC and CBD may enhance therapeutic benefits while reducing undesirable THC side effects (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Many clinical trials support this notion (6, 7, 8).

For example, it has been shown that cannabis cigarettes containing higher levels of CBD produce less of the memory impairment and cognitive deficits associated with THC (7). However, the interactions between THC and CBD are highly variable and appear to depend upon dose ratios and the experimental measure being evaluated (9).

Anecdotal evidence from those countries that have already legalised medical cannabis programs shows further support for this thesis with pain patients preferring hybrid strains with combinations of THC and CBD (10).