Study: Cannabis Extract An Effective Treatment For Chronic Back Pain

Recent drug trials testing a full-spectrum cannabis extract found the experimental drug was an effective treatment for chronic lower back pain. A recent clinical drug trial by a German pharmaceutical company found that full-spectrum cannabis extract is an effective treatment against chronic lower back pain, New Scientist reports.

Researchers enrolled 820 people with chronic lower back pain for the study and randomly assigned them either a placebo or an extract-based drug containing 5% THC. Participants taking the experimental drug reported pain relief and improved sleep quality, and the study did not identify serious side effects or signs of addiction.

The research offers some of the best data available to support medical cannabis as an effective treatment for chronic pain. In the U.S., chronic pain is the most commonly cited reason for patients registering with state medical cannabis programs.

“It’s one of the first really high-quality studies for medical cannabis which many people, both researchers and patients, have been waiting for. So far evidence is poor, past studies are of lower quality, fewer patients.” — Winfried Meissner, co-author and researcher at Jena University Hospital, via New Scientist

The Associated Press reported that the drug’s manufacturer, Vertanical, has filed to register its drug with European regulators, and said it’s “working closely” with U.S. officials to design a study to help earn the FDA’s approval.