Study Shows Terpenoids More Effective Than THC or CBD at Relieving Pain
The findings support the idea that cannabis has real pain-relieving properties. This study adds to the increasing research that supports using marijuana to treat pain.
A new study finds that medical marijuana can effectively relieve pain. The ease can be denoted by the distinct chemicals in cannabis, including terpenoids and cannabinoids. Researchers used machine learning methods to reach this conclusion
The report which was recently published in the journal Communications Medicine, highlights the significance of examining all cannabis compounds when devising new pain treatments. The study also supports the idea that some combinations of cannabis compounds work better together, a concept known as the entourage effect. One objective of the investigation was to decide if cannabis really relieves pain or if patients feel better simply due to a placebo effect.
The researchers analyzed data from 329 medical marijuana patients and examined the chemical makeup of the products they used. They found that patients’ pain improvement could be predicted from the chemicals in their cannabis, even though patients did not know what they were receiving. This suggests that cannabis provides real pain relief beyond patient expectations. Surprisingly, the major cannabinoids THC and CBD had capped value in indicating how well a product reduced pain. Instead, other compounds like alpha-Bisabolol and eucalyptol were key indicators of how well the treatment worked.
What Were the Findings on THC and CBD?
The researchers noted, “We found that well-known cannabinoids like THC and CBD have a minimal impact on pain relief outcomes, which goes against popular belief. Our research indicates that other compounds, especially α-Bisabolol and eucalyptol, are more necessary for pain relief.” Concerning the entourage effect, the study indicates that some mixtures of cannabis compounds are more influential at managing pain than separate ones.
The researchers stated, “The complex relationship between cannabis composition and pain relief helps explain why earlier studies that focused on single compounds often showed mixed results. Our analysis indicates that therapeutic effects come from specific combinations of compounds working together, rather than from one component alone.” The study team, from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, concluded that their findings support the idea that medical marijuana has real pain-relieving properties. This study adds to the increasing research that supports using marijuana to treat pain.
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