Cannabis medicine for chronic pain

Abstract

In the last decade, patients with chronic pain have expressed increasing interest in cannabis-derived products for adjuvant therapy when treatment is deemed refractory to conventional analgesics. At present, clinical evidence to support this treatment approach appears to be sparse. Not because clinical studies as such are lacking, but rather as a result of methodological bias in relation to study design, patient populations, and treatment protocols. In this review, research in cannabis medicine for relief of chronic pain is reviewed, mainly with reference to published meta-analytic studies.