An extract taken from the cannabis plant has been found to reduce chronic low back pain without risking addiction, according to a study.
Researchers said the results could be the “first non-addictive and clinically proven chronic pain treatment” based on the cannabis plant.
The findings could lead to a “promising” clinical strategy to help people manage their pain without any associated risks with addiction.
“Given the high prevalence of chronic low back pain and the global scale of the opioid crisis, these findings highlight a promising, non-addictive pain-management strategy for clinical use,” researchers said.
The trial, published in the Nature Medicine journal, involved more than 800 people.
The cannabis extract VER-01 was found to reduce pain “without serious side effects or signs of addiction”, scientists said.
People who suffer with lower back pain currently “remain limited” to anti-inflammatory drugs which researchers said can lead to long-term cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risks.
Other options include opioids, which are highly addictive and can cause “severe side effects”.
Scientists at a medical school in Hanover, Germany, said 820 adults taking part in the trial had 12 weeks of treatment.
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Participants reported a reduction in their pain levels – and then an “additional decrease” in symptoms during a six-month extension to the study.
Researchers said: “VER-01 was relatively well tolerated, with the most common adverse events being short-term dizziness, excessive sleepiness and nausea during the early treatment phase.”
They said there were no signs of “dose escalation, abuse, dependence or withdrawal symptoms”.
“The findings highlight the ability of VER-01 to relieve pain without the addiction risks and harmful consequences often associated with opioids” the scientists added.
