Up to 8%5 of the European population and approximately 3.8 million individuals in the United States6 are affected by Neuropathic pain (NP). NP is generally chronic and disabling and challenging to treat with only 40-60% of patients achieving partial relief7 . Neuropathic pain may arise as a consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system and could be CNS or PNS related8 . The management of patients with chronic NP is complex and response to existing treatments often inadequate9 . Common therapeutics include antidepressants, antiepileptic, opioids and tramadol. The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids has recently been investigated following the discovery of the...

Abstract Background and purpose: Paclitaxel (PAC) is associated with chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CIPN) that can lead to the cessation of treatment in cancer patients even in the absence of alternate therapies. We previously reported that chronic administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) prevents PAC-induced mechanical and thermal sensitivity in mice. Hence, we sought to determine receptor mechanisms by which CBD inhibits CIPN and whether CBD negatively effects nervous system function or chemotherapy efficacy. Experimental approach: The ability of acute CBD pretreatment to prevent PAC-induced mechanical sensitivity was assessed, as was the effect of CBD on place conditioning and on an operant-conditioned learning and memory task....

Using 8-hour human laboratory experiments, we evaluated the analgesic efficacy of vaporized cannabis in patients with neuropathic pain related to injury or disease of the spinal cord, most of whom were experiencing pain despite traditional treatment. After obtaining baseline data, 42 participants underwent a standardized procedure for inhaling 4 puffs of vaporized cannabis containing either placebo, 2.9%, or 6.7% delta 9-THC on 3 separate occasions. A second dosing occurred 3 hours later; participants chose to inhale 4 to 8 puffs. This flexible dosing was used to attempt to reduce the placebo effect. Using an 11-point numerical pain intensity rating scale as the primary outcome,...