Can Cannabis Gummies Help for Pain?

“The main current treatment for chronic pain [is] the opioids, which don’t work well in chronic pain, are highly addictive and are rife with side effects. So, unsurprisingly, many persons living with pain are hopeful about cannabis,” according to Daniele Piomelli, Ph.D., director of the Center for the Study of Cannabis at the University of California, Irvine in a Healthline article.

“The National Academy of Sciences committee charged with assessing the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids concluded, in 2017, that there is substantial evidence for the efficacy of cannabis and cannabinoids in chronic pain in adults,” Piomelli said in the same article. 

Researchers have also found evidence to support a short-term benefit in treating neuropathic pain — caused by damage to peripheral nerves, such as diabetic neuropathy resulting in pain described as burning and tingling — with two FDA-approved synthetic products made of 100% tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC: dronabinol (under the trade name Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet). Dronabinol and nabilone fit into the high THC-to-CBD ratio category; 100% THC (no CBD) showed the most benefit among the products studied, with meta-analysis of the six randomized controlled studies demonstrating statistically valid benefits for easing neuropathic pain compared with a placebo.

Additional research can be hard to find since cannabis remains federally illegal, making it tricky to use for studies. However, many users report amazing pain relief with the use of cannabis, and with gummies, there’s a controlled and easy way to ingest cannabis. 

Perhaps the best test is to see if cannabis gummies work for you, as there are so many factors that contribute to pain. For example, pain can be influenced by emotions, and the cycle of pain and emotions are interrelated. Emotions may directly impact physical changes as well. For example, when you are anxious or angry, your muscles may tighten and that physical change may contribute to increased pain. So if cannabis gummies can help with the emotional factors it will then positively impact the physical pain sensations as well. Biological factors that contribute to pain include age, existing medical conditions, medications and genetics. Social factors can include cultural beliefs, social support, where an injury took place (if relevant) and activities of daily living. 

That means what doesn’t work for others may well work for you, and vice versa. The best advice is to start with a small amount, believe it will help, and then increase it incrementally until you feel relief (as long as you don’t consume an excessive amount), if you feel it is having a positive impact.