Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain and Cannabis: What the Research Reveals
Chronic pain affects millions of Canadians, often impacting quality of life, mobility, and emotional well-being. Whether it stems from injury, illness, inflammation, nerve damage, or unknown causes, chronic pain is typically defined as pain that persists for more than three months. For many individuals, conventional treatments — including opioids, anti-inflammatories, and physical therapy — may offer limited relief or come with significant side effects. In recent years, growing attention has been given to the potential role of medical cannabis as a supportive option for managing chronic pain.
Medical cannabis is increasingly being studied as a therapeutic approach for a wide range of chronic pain conditions, including neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and cancer-related pain. While cannabis is not a cure, research suggests that certain cannabinoids — particularly THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) — may help modulate the body’s pain response by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system plays a key role in maintaining balance across various bodily functions, including pain perception, inflammation, and immune response.
Recent studies have shown that some patients using medical cannabis for chronic pain experience improvements in pain severity, sleep quality, mood, and overall function. In some cases, individuals have also reported reduced reliance on prescription pain medications — including opioids — when cannabis is integrated into their treatment plan. This has sparked further interest in how medical cannabis may serve as a harm-reduction tool in chronic pain care.
In Canada, individuals suffering from chronic pain can access medical cannabis through a physician or nurse practitioner. Under Health Canada’s medical cannabis program, patients can obtain legal, lab-tested products from licensed producers in a variety of forms, including oils, capsules, dried flower, and topicals. This system supports individualized treatment approaches, allowing for flexibility in product selection, cannabinoid ratios, and delivery methods.
However, it’s important to note that responses to medical cannabis can vary. Factors such as pain type, dosage, frequency of use, cannabinoid composition, and existing health conditions all play a role in how effective cannabis may be for each patient. Additionally, while research on chronic pain and medical cannabis is steadily growing, further large-scale, long-term studies are still needed to develop formal clinical guidelines.
This page is designed to be a trusted resource for anyone exploring the connection between chronic pain and medical cannabis. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional, you’ll find up-to-date research studies, clinical reviews, and evidence-based insights that reflect the current scientific understanding of cannabis for pain relief.
Role of Cannabinoids in Pain Management Dr. Ethan Russo and Andrea G Hohmann (2013)
Cannabis for Management of Pain: Assessment of Safety Study Dr. Mark Ware (2015)
The Role for Medical Cannabis in Chronic Pain Management Colloquium (2018)
Cannabis and Pain – A Clinical Review Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (2017)
The Cannabinoids D8 THC, CBD, and HU-308 Act via Distinct Receptors to Reduce Corneal Pain and Inflammation Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (2018)
Cannabis as an Adjunct to or Substitute for Opiates in the Treatment of Chronic Pain Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2012)
Medical Marijuana for Treatment of Chronic Pain and Other Medical and Psychiatric Problems JAMA (2015)
Cannabinoids in Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Clinical Medicine Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders (2020)
Medical Cannabis for the Management of Pain and Quality of Life in Chronic Pain Patients: A Prospective Observational Study Oxford Academic (2020)
Medical Cannabis Treatment for Chronic Pain: Outcomes and Prediction of Response European Journal of Pain (2020)
Patient-reported outcomes in those consuming medical cannabis: a prospective longitudinal observational study in chronic pain patients Canadian Journal of Anesthesia (2021)
Medical cannabis treatment for chronic pain: Outcomes and prediction of response European Journal of Pain (2020)
No pain, all gain? Interim analyses from a longitudinal, observational study examining the impact of medical cannabis treatment on chronic pain and related symptoms American Psychological Association (2021)
Practical Strategies Using Medical Cannabis to Reduce Harms Associated With Long Term Opioid Use in Chronic Pain Dr. Caroline MacCallum (2021)
Consensus recommendations on dosing and administration of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain: results of a modified Delphi process Dr. Caroline MacCallum (2021)
Medical Cannabis for Chronic Noncancer Pain: A Systematic Review of Health Care Recommendations Hindawi Pain Research and Management (2021)
Consensus-based recommendations for titrating cannabinoids and tapering opioids for chronic pain control – Internation Journal of Clinical Practice (2021)
Use of Cannabis for Self-Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain Journal of Women’s Health (2021)
Prolonged Medical Cannabis Treatment is Associated With Quality of Life Improvement and Reduction of Analgesic Medication Consumption in Chronic Pain Patients Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021)
Cannabis-based medicines and medical cannabis for patients with neuropathic pain and other pain disorders: Nationwide register-based pharmacoepidemiologic comparison with propensity score matched controls European Journal of Pain (2021)
Medical Cannabis for Gynecologic Pain Conditions Obstetrics & Gynecology (2022)
Medical Cannabis Used as an Alternative Treatment for Chronic Pain Demonstrates Reduction in Chronic Opioid Use – A Prospective Study Pain Physician Journal (2022)
The Efficacy of Cannabis in Reducing Back Pain: A Systematic Review Global Spine Journal (2022)
Medicinal Cannabis for the Treatment of Chronic Refractory Pain: An Investigation of the Adverse Event Profile and Health-Related Quality of Life Impact of an Oral Formulation Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2022)
Medical Cannabis Use Reduces Opioid Prescriptions in Patients With Chronic Back Pain Cureus Journal of Medical Science (2022)
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Medications for the Treatment of Chronic Orofacial Pain: A Scoping Review Dentistry Review (2023)
Comparing the effects of medical cannabis for chronic pain patients with and without co-morbid anxiety: A cohort study Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (2023)
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Cannabis and Cannabinoid-Based Medicines in the Management of Chronic Pain and Co-Occurring Conditions Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research (2023)
Medical Cannabis for Chronic Nonmalignant Pain Management Current Pain and Headache Reports (2023)
Medical Cannabis Alleviates Chronic Neuropathic Pain Effectively and Sustainably without Severe Adverse Effect A Retrospective Study On 99 Cases (2023)
The Use of Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy and Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review The Journal of Hand Surgery (2024)
Effectiveness of Cannabis Oil as an Adjuvant Therapy in Patients with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Journal of Southeast Asian Orthopaedics (2024)
Cannabidiol use and perceptions of effectiveness in women with chronic pelvic pain Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada (2025)
