311
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Ethics/Policy

Medical Cannabis: A Review from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, , , ORCID Icon, , ORCID Icon, , ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon & show all
Pages 4217-4228 | Received 14 Jun 2023, Accepted 28 Nov 2023, Published online: 08 Dec 2023

References

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Acute Pain Management. Practice guidelines for acute pain management in the perioperative setting: an updated report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists task force on acute pain management. Anesthesiology. 2012;116(2):248–273. doi:10.1097/ALN.0b013e31823c1030
  • Colvin AC, Egorova N, Harrison AK, Moskowitz A, Flatow EL. National trends in rotator cuff repair. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012;94(3):227–233. doi:10.2106/JBJS.J.00739
  • Wu CL, Raja SN. Treatment of acute postoperative pain. Lancet. 2011;377(9784):2215–2225. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60245-6
  • Kehlet H, Holte K. Effect of postoperative analgesia on surgical outcome. Br J Anaesth. 2001;87(1):62–72. doi:10.1093/bja/87.1.62
  • Kehlet H, Jensen TS, Woolf CJ. Persistent postsurgical pain: risk factors and prevention. Lancet. 2006;367(9522):1618–1625. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68700-X
  • Borgelt LM, Franson KL, Nussbaum AM, Wang GS. The pharmacologic and clinical effects of medical cannabis. Pharmacotherapy. 2013;33(2):195–209. doi:10.1002/phar.1187
  • Klein TW. Cannabinoid-based drugs as anti-inflammatory therapeutics. Nat Rev Immunol. 2005;5(5):400–411. doi:10.1038/nri1602
  • Martin BR, Wiley JL. Mechanism of action of cannabinoids: how it may lead to treatment of cachexia, emesis, and pain. J Support Oncol. 2004;2(4):305–314.
  • Aggarwal SK. Cannabinergic pain medicine: a concise clinical primer and survey of randomized-controlled trial results. Clin J Pain. 2013;29(2):162–171. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e31824c5e4c
  • Abdallah FW, Hussain N, Weaver T, Brull R. Analgesic efficacy of cannabinoids for acute pain management after surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2020;45(7):509–519. doi:10.1136/rapm-2020-101340
  • Madden K, van der Hoek N, Chona S, et al. Cannabinoids in the management of musculoskeletal pain: a critical review of the evidence. JBJS Rev. 2018;6(5):e7. doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.17.00153
  • Whiting PF, Wolff RF, Deshpande S, et al. Cannabinoids for medical use: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2015;313(24):2456–2473. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.6358
  • Richards BL, Whittle SL, Buchbinder R. Neuromodulators for pain management in rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;1(1):CD008921. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008921.pub2
  • Stevens AJ, Higgins MD. A systematic review of the analgesic efficacy of cannabinoid medications in the management of acute pain. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2017;61(3):268–280. doi:10.1111/aas.12851
  • Mead A. Legal and regulatory issues governing cannabis and cannabis-derived products in the United States. Front Plant Sci. 2019;10:697. doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.00697
  • Mead A. The legal status of cannabis (marijuana) and cannabidiol (CBD) under U.S. law. Epilepsy Behav. 2017;70(Pt B):288–291. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.11.021
  • Hoffmann DE, Weber E. Medical marijuana and the law. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(16):1453–1457. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1000695
  • Annas GJ. Medical marijuana, physicians, and state law. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(11):983–985. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1408965
  • Conant v Walters, 309 F3d 629 (9th Cir 2002); 2002.
  • Testimony of Amy Abernethy, MD, PhD. Hemp production and the 2018 farm bill: hearing before, senate committee on agriculture, nutrition, and forestry; 2019. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/congressional-testimony/hemp-production-and-2018-farm-bill-07252019. Accessed November 30, 2023.
  • The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: the current state of evidence and recommendations for research. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health; 2017.
  • Grbic J, Goddard P, Ryder D. Observations of the role of science in the United States medical cannabis state policies: lessons learnt. Int J Drug Policy. 2017;42:109–114. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.12.019
  • Taylor SL. Evidence-based policy? The re-medicalization of cannabis and the role of expert committees in the UK, 1972-1982. Int J Drug Policy. 2016;37:129–135. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.04.014
  • Pardo B. Cannabis policy reforms in the Americas: a comparative analysis of Colorado, Washington, and Uruguay. Int J Drug Policy. 2014;25(4):727–735. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.05.010
  • Herkenham M, Lynn AB, Little MD, et al. Cannabinoid receptor localization in brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990;87(5):1932–1936. doi:10.1073/pnas.87.5.1932
  • Devinsky O, Cross JH, Laux L, et al. Trial of cannabidiol for drug-resistant seizures in the Dravet syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(21):2011–2020. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1611618
  • Ware MA, Wang T, Shapiro S, et al. Cannabis for the Management of Pain: assessment of Safety Study (COMPASS). J Pain. 2015;16(12):1233–1242. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2015.07.014
  • Johnson JR, Lossignol D, Burnell-Nugent M, Fallon MT. An open-label extension study to investigate the long-term safety and tolerability of THC/CBD oromucosal spray and oromucosal THC spray in patients with terminal cancer-related pain refractory to strong opioid analgesics. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2013;46(2):207–218. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2012.07.014
  • Hill KP. Medical marijuana for treatment of chronic pain and other medical and psychiatric problems: a clinical review. JAMA. 2015;313(24):2474–2483. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.6199
  • Millar SA, Stone NL, Yates AS, O’Sullivan SE. A systematic review on the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in humans. Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:1365. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.01365
  • Ujvary I, Hanus L. Human metabolites of cannabidiol: a review on their formation, biological activity, and relevance in therapy. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2016;1(1):90–101. doi:10.1089/can.2015.0012
  • Cooper ZD, Bedi G, Ramesh D, Balter R, Comer SD, Haney M. Impact of co-administration of oxycodone and smoked cannabis on analgesia and abuse liability. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018;43(10):2046–2055. doi:10.1038/s41386-018-0011-2
  • Pini LA, Guerzoni S, Cainazzo MM, et al. Nabilone for the treatment of medication overuse headache: results of a preliminary double-blind, active-controlled, randomized trial. J Headache Pain. 2012;13(8):677–684. doi:10.1007/s10194-012-0490-1
  • Cuttler C, Spradlin A, Cleveland MJ, Craft RM. Short- and long-term effects of cannabis on headache and migraine. J Pain. 2020;21(5–6):722–730. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2019.11.001
  • Rhyne DN, Anderson SL, Gedde M, Borgelt LM. Effects of medical marijuana on migraine headache frequency in an adult population. Pharmacotherapy. 2016;36(5):505–510. doi:10.1002/phar.1673
  • Leroux E, Taifas I, Valade D, Donnet A, Chagnon M, Ducros A. Use of cannabis among 139 cluster headache sufferers. Cephalalgia. 2013;33(3):208–213. doi:10.1177/0333102412468669
  • Consroe P, Musty R, Rein J, Tillery W, Pertwee R. The perceived effects of smoked cannabis on patients with multiple sclerosis. Eur Neurol. 1997;38(1):44–48. doi:10.1159/000112901
  • Aviram J, Vysotski Y, Berman P, Lewitus GM, Eisenberg E, Meiri D. Migraine frequency decrease following prolonged medical cannabis treatment: a cross-sectional study. Brain Sci. 2020;10(6):360. doi:10.3390/brainsci10060360
  • Baron EP, Lucas P, Eades J, Hogue O. Patterns of medicinal cannabis use, strain analysis, and substitution effect among patients with migraine, headache, arthritis, and chronic pain in a medicinal cannabis cohort. J Headache Pain. 2018;19(1):37. doi:10.1186/s10194-018-0862-2
  • Zhang N, Woldeamanuel YW. Medication overuse headache in patients with chronic migraine using cannabis: a case-referent study. Headache. 2021;61(8):1234–1244. doi:10.1111/head.14195
  • Stith SS, Diviant JP, Brockelman F, et al. Alleviative effects of Cannabis flower on migraine and headache. J Integr Med. 2020;18(5):416–424. doi:10.1016/j.joim.2020.07.004
  • Gibson LP, Hitchcock LN, Bryan AD, Bidwell LC. Experience of migraine, its severity, and perceived efficacy of treatments among cannabis users. Complement Ther Med. 2021;56:102619. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102619
  • Duarte RA, Dahmer S, Sanguinetti SY, Forde G, Duarte DP, Kobak LF. Medical cannabis for headache pain: a primer for clinicians. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2021;25(10):64. doi:10.1007/s11916-021-00974-z
  • Bagshaw SM, Hagen NA. Medical efficacy of cannabinoids and marijuana: a comprehensive review of the literature. J Palliat Care. 2002;18(2):111–122. doi:10.1177/082585970201800207
  • Johannes CB, Le TK, Zhou X, Johnston JA, Dworkin RH. The prevalence of chronic pain in United States adults: results of an Internet-based survey. J Pain. 2010;11(11):1230–1239. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2010.07.002
  • Stockings E, Campbell G, Hall WD, et al. Cannabis and cannabinoids for the treatment of people with chronic noncancer pain conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled and observational studies. Pain. 2018;159(10):1932–1954. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001293
  • Patti F, Chisari CG, Fernandez O, et al. A real-world evidence study of nabiximols in multiple sclerosis patients with resistant spasticity: analysis in relation to the newly described ‘spasticity-plus syndrome’. Eur J Neurol. 2022;29(9):2744–2753. doi:10.1111/ene.15412
  • Grossman S, Tan H, Gadiwalla Y. Cannabis and orofacial pain: a systematic review. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2022;60(5):e677–e690. doi:10.1016/j.bjoms.2021.06.005
  • Lynch ME, Ware MA. Cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain: an updated systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2015;10(2):293–301. doi:10.1007/s11481-015-9600-6
  • Bruera E, Kim HN. Cancer pain. JAMA. 2003;290(18):2476–2479. doi:10.1001/jama.290.18.2476
  • Portenoy RK. Treatment of cancer pain. Lancet. 2011;377(9784):2236–2247. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60236-5
  • Kramer JL. Medical marijuana for cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2015;65(2):109–122. doi:10.3322/caac.21260
  • Pawasarat IM, Schultz EM, Frisby JC, et al. The efficacy of medical marijuana in the treatment of cancer-related pain. J Palliat Med. 2020;23(6):809–816. doi:10.1089/jpm.2019.0374
  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Cannabis (Marijuana) and cannabinoids: what you need to know. Available from: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cannabis-marijuana-and-cannabinoids-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed May 30, 2023.
  • Pacula RL, Powell D, Heaton P, Sevigny EL. Assessing the effects of medical marijuana laws on marijuana use: the devil is in the details. J Policy Anal Manage. 2015;34(1):7–31. doi:10.1002/pam.21804
  • Pergam SA, Woodfield MC, Lee CM, et al. Cannabis use among patients at a comprehensive cancer center in a state with legalized medicinal and recreational use. Cancer. 2017;123(22):4488–4497. doi:10.1002/cncr.30879
  • Tringale KR, Huynh-Le MP, Salans M, Marshall DC, Shi Y, Hattangadi-Gluth JA. The role of cancer in marijuana and prescription opioid use in the United States: a population-based analysis from 2005 to 2014. Cancer. 2019;125(13):2242–2251. doi:10.1002/cncr.32059
  • Swarm RA, Paice JA, Anghelescu DL, et al. Adult cancer pain, version 3.2019, NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2019;17(8):977–1007. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2019.0038
  • Portenoy RK, Ahmed E. Principles of opioid use in cancer pain. J Clin Oncol. 2014;32(16):1662–1670. doi:10.1200/JCO.2013.52.5188
  • Koyyalagunta D, Bruera E, Solanki DR, et al. A systematic review of randomized trials on the effectiveness of opioids for cancer pain. Pain Physician. 2012;15(3 Suppl):1.
  • Braun IM, Wright A, Peteet J, et al. Medical oncologists’ beliefs, practices, and knowledge regarding marijuana used therapeutically: a nationally representative survey study. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36(19):1957–1962. doi:10.1200/JCO.2017.76.1221
  • Fallon M, Giusti R, Aielli F, et al. Management of cancer pain in adult patients: ESMO clinical practice guidelines. Ann Oncol. 2018;29(Suppl 4):iv166–iv191. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdy152
  • Johnson JR, Burnell-Nugent M, Lossignol D, Ganae-Motan ED, Potts R, Fallon MT. Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of THC: CBD extract and THC extract in patients with intractable cancer-related pain. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010;39(2):167–179. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.06.008
  • Portenoy RK, Ganae-Motan ED, Allende S, et al. Nabiximols for opioid-treated cancer patients with poorly-controlled chronic pain: a randomized, placebo-controlled, graded-dose trial. J Pain. 2012;13(5):438–449. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2012.01.003
  • Lynch ME, Cesar-Rittenberg P, Hohmann AG. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot trial with extension using an oral mucosal cannabinoid extract for treatment of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2014;47(1):166–173. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.02.018
  • Aviram J, Samuelly-Leichtag G. Efficacy of cannabis-based medicines for pain management: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pain Physician. 2017;20:6.
  • Richebe P, Capdevila X, Rivat C. Persistent postsurgical pain: pathophysiology and preventative pharmacologic considerations. Anesthesiology. 2018;129(3):590–607. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000002238
  • Haroutiunian S, Nikolajsen L, Finnerup NB, Jensen TS. The neuropathic component in persistent postsurgical pain: a systematic literature review. Pain. 2013;154(1):95–102. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2012.09.010
  • Niraj G, Rowbotham DJ. Persistent postoperative pain: where are we now? Br J Anaesth. 2011;107(1):25–29. doi:10.1093/bja/aer116
  • Chou R, Gordon DB, de Leon-Casasola OA, et al. Management of postoperative pain: a clinical practice guideline from the American Pain Society, the American Society of regional anesthesia and pain medicine, and the American society of anesthesiologists’ committee on regional anesthesia, executive committee, and administrative council. J Pain. 2016;17(2):131–157. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2015.12.008
  • Pogatzki-Zahn E, Lavandhomme P. Prevention of Chronic Post-Surgical Pain. International Association for the Study of Pain. Available from: https://www.iasp-pain.org/resources/fact-sheets/prevention-of-chronic-post-surgical-pain/. Accessed May 30, 2023.
  • Adili A, Madden K. Cannabinoids vs. Placebo on persistent post-surgical pain following TKA: a Pilot RCT. ClinicalTrials.gov. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03825965. Accessed November 30, 2023.
  • Sarzi-Puttini P, Giorgi V, Marotto D, Atzeni F. Fibromyalgia: an update on clinical characteristics, aetiopathogenesis and treatment. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2020;16(11):645–660. doi:10.1038/s41584-020-00506-w
  • Queiroz LP. Worldwide epidemiology of fibromyalgia. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2013;17(8):356. doi:10.1007/s11916-013-0356-5
  • Spaeth M. Epidemiology, costs, and the economic burden of fibromyalgia. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(3):117. doi:10.1186/ar2715
  • Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles MA, et al. 2016 Revisions to the 2010/2011 fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2016;46(3):319–329. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2016.08.012
  • Arnold LM, Bennett RM, Crofford LJ, et al. AAPT diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia. J Pain. 2019;20(6):611–628. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2018.10.008
  • Ware MA, Fitzcharles MA, Joseph L, Shir Y. The effects of nabilone on sleep in fibromyalgia: results of a randomized controlled trial. Anesth Analg. 2010;110(2):604–610. doi:10.1213/ANE.0b013e3181c76f70
  • Skrabek RQ, Galimova L, Ethans K, Perry D. Nabilone for the treatment of pain in fibromyalgia. J Pain. 2008;9(2):164–173. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2007.09.002
  • Schley M, Legler A, Skopp G, Schmelz M, Konrad C, Rukwied R. Delta-9-THC based monotherapy in fibromyalgia patients on experimentally induced pain, axon reflex flare, and pain relief. Curr Med Res Opin. 2006;22(7):1269–1276. doi:10.1185/030079906x112651
  • Weber J, Schley M, Casutt M, et al. Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 9-THC) treatment in chronic central neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia patients: results of a multicenter survey. Anesthesiol Res Pract. 2009;2009. doi:10.1155/2009/827290
  • Haanpää M, Treede R-D. Diagnosis and classification of neuropathic pain. Pain Clin Updates. 2010;18(7):1–6.
  • van Hecke O, Austin SK, Khan RA, Smith BH, Torrance N. Neuropathic pain in the general population: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Pain. 2014;155(4):654–662. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2013.11.013
  • Cavalli E, Mammana S, Nicoletti F, Bramanti P, Mazzon E. The neuropathic pain: an overview of the current treatment and future therapeutic approaches. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2019;33:2058738419838383. doi:10.1177/2058738419838383
  • Maldonado R, Banos JE, Cabanero D. The endocannabinoid system and neuropathic pain. Pain. 2016;157. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000428
  • Abrams DI, Jay CA, Shade SB, et al. Cannabis in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Neurology. 2007;68(7):515–521. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000253187.66183.9c
  • Ellis RJ, Toperoff W, Vaida F, et al. Smoked medicinal cannabis for neuropathic pain in HIV: a randomized, crossover clinical trial. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009;34(3):672–680. doi:10.1038/npp.2008.120
  • Wallace MS, Marcotte TD, Umlauf A, et al. Efficacy of inhaled cannabis on painful diabetic neuropathy. J Pain. 2015;16(7):616–627. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2015.03.008
  • Wilsey B, Marcotte T, Tsodikov A, et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of cannabis cigarettes in neuropathic pain. J Pain. 2008;9(6):506–521. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2007.12.010