For the first time in nearly 20 years, a U.S. researcher has been able to publish the findings of a clinical study of therapeutic cannabis. The study, conducted by Dr. Donald Abrams of the University of California San Francisco medical school, found that HIV/AIDS patients suffering from neuropathic pain got twice as much relief from cannabis as compared to a control group.
The randomized placebo-controlled trial involved 50 patients who were randomly assigned to smoke either cannabis (3.56% tetrahydrocannabinol) or identical placebo cigarettes with the cannabinoids extracted three times daily for 5 days. Smoked cannabis reduced daily pain by 34% (median reduction; IQR = -71, -16). Greater than 30% reduction in pain was reported by 52% in the cannabis group and the first cannabis cigarette reduced chronic pain by a median of 72% vs. 15% with placebo.
Researchers concluded that smoked cannabis was well tolerated and effectively relieved chronic neuropathic pain from HIV-associated sensory neuropathy.
See http://neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/7/515
This study suggests strongly that marijuana reduces chronic pain.
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