“Current treatment options for neuropathic pain are limited and often come with significant side effects that make the condition worse, highlighting a need for new treatment options,” said the study’s lead investigator Professor Luke Henderson from the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre and the School of Medical Sciences.
“Anecdotally, some people report that cannabis and its derivatives can improve neuropathic pain. However, no one fully understands how it works to improve pain,” said Dr Sachin Shetty, Director of the Spinal Injuries Unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital.
Recent research by the National Drug Strategy Household Survey found 2.7 percent of Australia’s population took up cannabis use for medicinal purposes in 2019 – a figure which has been rapidly rising since the drug was made available via prescription in late 2016.
“Doctors are increasingly prescribing cannabis-based products for neuropathic pain,” said the study’s co-investigator Professor Iain McGregor from the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics.
“But the lack of clinical studies makes it difficult for doctors to guide patients on the correct dosage for optimal efficacy and safety.
“The lack of intoxicating properties of CBD and its promising effects in animal models of neuropathic pain identifies CBD as a suitable treatment worthy of further investigation.”
