Two studies published on the topic of “medical cannabis” suggest that, based on current knowledge, cannabinoids do not play a role in cancer-related pain. Chronic pain is thought to affect between 19% and 37% of adults in developed countries. They are often accompanied by sleep disturbances, including difficulty achieving latency and early awakening.
Use for medical cannabis
In the first study, the researchers wanted to find out what influencemedical cannabison sleep problems in people over 50 with chronic pain lasting at least a year. They assessed the sleep quality and pain levels of 128 people who were treated at a dedicated pain clinic. 66 of them used medical cannabis to treat their sleep problems and 62 did not.
Overall, around one in four (24%) said they always woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep. One in five respondents (20%) said they always find it difficult to fall asleep. About one in five (27%) reported waking up during the night. Users had taken the drug at an amount of approximately 31 g per month for an average of 4 years. Most (69%) smoked it, with about 20% eitherUsed cannabis oil or steam.
After controlling for potentially influential factors such as average pain score, age, gender, use of other sleeping pills or antidepressants, marijuana smokers were less likely to wake up at night than non-users. However, there were no differences between the two groups in terms of time to fall asleep or frequency of early awakenings.
Data analysis of the two studies
Further analysis of cannabis users' sleep patterns found that frequency of use was associated with greater difficulty falling asleep and more frequent awakenings during the night. “This could indicate the development of tolerance. That's what the researchers suggest, although they acknowledge that more frequent users may experience more pain. They are alsodepressed or anxious, which in turn can be associated with more sleep problems.
This was primarily an observational study. As such, it cannot determine any reason why the number of people involved was small. There were no details about the time of day people used cannabis. “The findings have major public health implications considering the aging of the population, the relatively high prevalence of sleep problems in this population, and the increasing use of medical marijuana. “
Second study
In the second study, researchers wanted to find out whether THC extract and approved medications containing cannabis could effectively relieve cancer pain. They looked for data from clinical trials involving the use of cannabinoidsOpioids to relieve cancer painwas compared in adults.
The scientists pooled data from five relevant studies involving 1,442 people. The resulting analysis showed that changes in average pain intensity scores did not differ between those who took cannabinoids and those who received opioids. Additionally, cannabinoids were associated with a significantly higher risk of side effects such as drowsiness and dizziness.
Researchers accept that pain assessment may not be the best measure to adequately capture the complexity of long-term pain. Nevertheless, they conclude that the benefits of drugs must outweigh the disadvantages if they are to be useful. “This systematic review provides good evidence that cannabinoids do not play a role in cancer-related pain,” they write.
