Vandana Ravikumar | THE MIAMI HERALD
A government-backed review of cannabis research found that THC could be more effective for soothing chronic pain than CBD.
The review, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that although cannabinoids can be generally helpful for chronic pain, products with a higher THC-to-CBD ratio may be more potent than products with a higher CBD-to-THC ratio.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the two main active ingredients in marijuana. The component typically doesn’t cause a “high,” and the World Health Organization said it doesn’t produce effects “indicative of any abuse or dependence potential,” according to Harvard Health Publishing.
On the other hand, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the component of marijuana that induces most of its psychoactive effects and gives users a “high” feeling. The compound can induce feelings of relaxation and sedation, but can also cause hallucination, impairment in motor abilities and short-term memory recall issues, according to Live Science.
To conduct the review, researchers analyzed 25 studies and considered the THC-to-CBD ratio of the products examined in them.
According to the review, products that had a high THC-to-CBD ratio were associated with a “moderate improvement in pain severity” in individuals with chronic pain, or pain that lasts longer than 3 to 6 months and negatively impacts quality of life.
At the same time, however, products with a higher THC-to-CBD ratio were also associated with an increase in side effects like dizziness and sedation, the review said. Products with a low THC-to-CBD ratio had insufficient evidence to draw conclusions from.
The review added that more research is needed to fully understand the long-term impacts of cannabis use.
The findings also suggest that medical professionals need to carefully evaluate the potential benefits and drawbacks of using THC to treat chronic pain, according to Medical News Today.
The lack of existing conclusive data was surprising to researchers, study author Marian S. McDonagh told Medical News Today.
“With so much buzz around cannabis-related products, and the easy availability of recreational and medical marijuana in many states, consumers and patients might assume there would be more evidence about the benefits and side effects,” McDonagh told the outlet. “Unfortunately, there is very little scientifically valid research into most of these products.”
McDonagh also told Insider that readers of the study should be aware of the limits of existing cannabis research and should take its findings with “a grain of salt.” That includes medical professionals, who should keep a close eye on patients using cannabis to alleviate chronic pain.
“If you are willing to go down the path and you want to try cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain, they’re going to have to keep a really close eye on how things are going over time, especially after three months,” she told the outlet.
In 2019, Gallup found that 14% of Americans said they use CBD products — and that 78% of respondents who said they “are familiar” with CBD believe it offers “a lot” or “some” health benefits. Fifty-percent of adult Americans overall said the same.
Brightfield Group, a Chicago-based market researcher, reported that sales of CBD products reached $5.3 billion in 2021, a 15% increase compared to the prior year.
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