Cannabinoids and pain

Cannabinoids come from the cannabis (marijuana) plant. They’re sometimes used in medicines to treat health conditions. The cannabis plant can also be used as a medicine when it’s smoked, vapourized, eaten, or made into a cream.

There isn’t a lot of research that looks at how cannabinoids help manage long-lasting (chronic) pain. We know there are receptors in our body that work with cannabinoids. We also know that our body makes natural cannabinoids. What we don’t fully understand is exactly what they do or how to use them to help manage pain.

We know that cannabinoids can help you feel less sick to your stomach (nausea) and help prevent you from throwing up (vomiting). We think they may also help you sleep better. There are a few studies that suggest they might help with some kinds of nerve pain.

Most experts say that cannabinoids should only be used as a last option to manage pain, after you’ve tried most other kinds of pain medicine.

No pain medicine can get rid of all chronic pain. When you use cannabinoids for chronic pain, the goal is to lessen your pain enough so it’s easier for you to do your day-to-day activities.

Ways to take cannabinoids

Cannabinoids can come as pills that you get from the pharmacy.

They can also be available as plants, herbs, or oils from licensed cannabis producers or specialized stores.

How and where to get cannabinoids

Healthcare providers don’t prescribe cannabis, but they can sign an authorization form. This form lets you buy cannabis from a licensed producer or grow a small supply yourself.

You can also buy cannabis from specialized stores without an authorization form.

More research needs to be done to make sure cannabinoids are a safe and useful way to manage chronic pain before they are recommended for medical use.

Possible side effects of cannabinoids

No matter how you take them, cannabinoids can cause side effects. Possible side effects include:

• feeling dizzy
• dry mouth
• severe vomiting that keeps happening
• feeling "high"
• headache
• blurry eyesight (vision)
• fast heart rate
• changes in blood pressure
• feeling sleepy
• problems with memory
• depression, anxiety, or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)

There isn’t enough research to know all of the possible side effects and long-term effects of using cannabis.

Who should not take cannabinoids

Do not take cannabinoids if you’re pregnant or have:

• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• liver disease
• a history of alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, or other addictions
• untreated mood problems
• family history of hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)

Mixing cannabinoids with other medicines

Cannabinoids can affect how other medicines work. Please check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist to make sure it’s safe for you to take them.

Cannabinoids can interact with these medicines:

• warfarin (a type of blood thinner)
• some antidepressants
• some blood pressure medicines
• opioid medicines (like oxycodone or hydromorphone)
• benzodiazepine medicines (like lorazepam or clonazepam)
• clobazam