The latest study looking at medical marijuana as a treatment for pain has dropped. And like so many other studies before it, this one demonstrates medical marijuana efficacy. Participants reported less pain along with lower consumption of other pain medications during the 12 months of the study. Yet study also raises questions about long term impacts – particularly where tolerance is concerned.
A Small-Scale Study
It is worth knowing that the study was conducted on a relatively small scale. Just 96 patients were enrolled by researchers from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Here is a direct quote from the study as published in the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy:
“We found that the use of medical cannabis was associated with reduced pain during the first 6 months and improved mental well-being over 12 months.”
Patients were studied in terms of both their pain and mental health. They were asked to self-report their symptoms at onset, then at intervals of 3, 6, and 12 months. At 12 months, researchers noted:
- 91% reported that their pain was at least ‘a little’ better.
- 75% reported that their pain was either ‘much’ or ‘very much’ better.
- 55% reported decreased consumption of prescription pain medication.
- 45% reported consuming less OTC pain medication.
Improvements in mental health were also noted. They seemed to plateau by the third month. However, unlike pain relief, improved mental health systems did not decline at all over the remaining 9 months of the study.
Pain Relief Did Decline
Patient reports of pain relief were a different matter. Researchers say that the majority of patients reported peak relief at the 6-month mark. After that, relief began waning. This is to be expected. Researchers cited three possible reasons, with the most likely reason being tolerance.
Researchers did not use the word ‘tolerance’. Rather, they made note that patient CB1 receptors likely became desensitized to medical marijuana’s effects over the length of the study. However, it is a matter of semantics. Desensitized CB1 receptors are desensitized because of the condition known as tolerance.
Incidentally, the owners of the Zion Medicinal medical marijuana dispensary in Cedar City, Utah say that medical providers in the U.S. tend to recommend a brief break from medical marijuana every month. Medical providers tend to recommend taking 1-3 days off every month. Why? To prevent tolerance.
If not addressed, tolerance ultimately forces a patient to consume more marijuana in order to experience the same level of pain relief. Taking a break for a few days every month allows the brain to reset. By addressing tolerance in this way, patients can significantly reduce the risks of addiction.
What We Can Draw From This Study
Are there any practical applications we can draw from this study? Absolutely. First, patients reporting pain relief is the strongest evidence yet for medical marijuana efficacy. Remember, when a drug is being tested for pain relief, the only way to measure its success is with patient reports. So it’s clear that medical marijuana is working.
We should also not ignore the fact that marijuana tolerance is real. Over extended amounts of time, tolerance can reduce efficacy. The study shows reduced efficacy after just 6 months. Common sense would seem to dictate a further waning over 12-36 months. This is something that needs further investigation.
In the meantime, the body of evidence in support of medical marijuana as a pain treatment is growing. Every new study supporting its efficacy further promotes the idea that marijuana should be moved to Schedule III so that we can begin developing new pain medications from it.
