Evaluation of CBD for the Treatment of Pain
- Dr. Dan Menard
- Jul 14, 2016
- 2 min read
As many as 30% of North Americans at any one time will be taking pain medication. Of these patients, over half will experience pain symptoms that persists over a two year span. Pain symptoms are the major reason that patients will seek medical treatment and is currently listed by the American Board for Hospital accreditation as the fifth vital sign.
Although the medical community has an increased level understanding the underlying mechanisms of pain, current analgesic medications are limited and not effective at mediating chronic pain conditions. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are widely available for patients, but have limited efficacy and long term use is associated with a host of potential adverse events including stroke, erectile dysfunction, heart attack, hepatotoxicity and death by accidental overdose.
FDA-designed clinical trials indicate that inhaled cannabis can significantly alleviate neuropathic pain and a variety of pain conditions (Lunch and Campbell British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 72 pp735-744). Marijuana contains two classes of compounds, THC and cannabidiols, that regulate pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, body movement, awareness of time, appetite, pain, and the senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight). THC increases appetite and reduces nausea and may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid that does not affect the mind or behavior and may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions. Other than THC, the marijuana plant contains more than 100 other cannabinoids.
Due to the reported analgesic effects of cannabinoids, and the large number of cannabidiols that have not been evaluated, there is a great potential to identify cannabis extracts that have the potential to treat chronic pain conditions. MyCROSite provides an extensive battery of in vivo test models that will determine analgesic utility in specific pain indications (acute, inflammatory, neuropathic, chemotherapeutic neuropathy and bone cancer). MyCROsite has bundled these tests to allow companies to evaluate cannabis products or extracts quickly and cost effectively for analgesic activity.
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