Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects up to 15% of women in the United States. The endocannabinoid system is a potential pharmacological target for pelvic pain as cannabinoid receptors are highly expressed in the uterus and other nonreproductive tissues. We hypothesize that cannabis use is common for self-management of CPP, and our primary objective was to determine the prevalence of cannabis use in this population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of women with pelvic and perineal pain, dyspareunia, or endometriosis was performed between March and August 2019. Subjects were recruited in an outpatient gynecology office. An...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Although studied in a few randomized controlled trials, the efficacy of medical cannabis (MC) for chronic pain remains controversial. Using an alternative approach, this multicentre, questionnaire-based prospective cohort was aimed to assess the long-term effects of MC on chronic pain of various aetiologies and to identify predictors for MC treatment success. Methods Patients with chronic pain, licensed to use MC in Israel, reported weekly average pain intensity (primary outcome) and related symptoms before and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months following MC treatment initiation. A general linear model was used to assess outcomes...

Abstract Pain prevalence among adults in the United States has increased 25% over the past two decades, resulting in high health-care costs and impacts to patient quality of life. In the last 30 years, our understanding of pain circuits and (intra)cellular mechanisms has grown exponentially, but this understanding has not yet resulted in improved therapies. Options for pain management are limited. Many analgesics have poor efficacy and are accompanied by severe side effects such as addiction, resulting in a devastating opioid abuse and overdose epidemic. These problems have encouraged scientists to identify novel molecular targets and develop alternative pain therapeutics. Increasing preclinical and clinical...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Nociplastic pain is defined as pain due to sensitization of the nervous system, without a sufficient underlying anatomical abnormality to explain the severity of pain. Nociplastic pain may be manifest in various organ systems, is often perceived as being more widespread rather than localized and is commonly associated with central nervous system symptoms of fatigue, difficulties with cognition and sleep, and other somatic symptoms; all features that contribute to considerable suffering. Exemplified by fibromyalgia, nociplastic conditions also include chronic visceral pain, chronic headaches and facial pain, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. It has been theorized that...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Neuropathic pain (NP) is a complex and debilitating condition that is often refractory to currently available analgesic medications. Cannabis sativa extract (CSE) has been reported to exhibit analgesic properties across various pain models; however, the underlying mechanisms of action are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor in mediating the analgesic effects of CSE in a rat model of NP, where NP was induced in male Wistar rats through chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Rats were randomly allocated into four groups: (1) Sham + vehicle, (2) CCI...

Abstract Objective: Rates of chronic pain are higher among rural versus urban individuals and rural individuals experience higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage, poor or no health insurance coverage, and unmet treatment need. Medical cannabis is legal in Oklahoma. With 40% of Oklahoma’s population living in rural areas, and nearly 17% uninsured, the medical legalization of cannabis may present as an accessible and relatively low-cost alternative treatment, particularly for those with chronic pain. This study investigated differences in cannabis use by rural (vs. urban) status and unmet (vs. met) treatment need among adults with and without chronic pain living in Oklahoma. Method: To be eligible, participants...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Many medical conditions are accompanied by severe pain. Acute pain refers to the experience of pain that lasts for only a few hours, whereas chronic pain is the ongoing emergence of pain signals over an extended period. Since ancient times, cannabis has been utilized for medical purposes. This article demonstrates the medicinal importance of cannabinoids through their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Additionally, the mechanisms of cannabinoid-induced analgesia have been interpreted via preclinical investigations in animals. Cannabinoid extracts were formulated into gel and cream at concentrations of 2.5% and 5%. The cannabis cream showed the highest...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Introduction Cannabis is increasingly available to individuals in the United States, with the majority of states legalizing medical or recreational cannabis use. Cannabis expectancies (e.g., positive expectations from cannabis use) are related to more frequent cannabis use and associated with greater odds of lapse following a cessation attempt. Methods To evaluate the relationship between expectancies and cannabis- and health-related outcomes, we surveyed adults who used medical cannabis for chronic pain (n = 633; 52.2 % female; 82.1 % white) over a two-year period. Then, we performed a principal components analysis (PCA) on the Cannabis Expectancies Questionnaire to derive components...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Purpose of Review Sleep impairment due to chronic pain is linked to functional impairment and often inadequately addressed with current treatments leading some to seek alternative therapies, including cannabis. The factors associated with chronic pain and sleep impairments are disproportionately experienced by individuals from racial/ethnic minorities, of low socioeconomic status, who live in noisy, chaotic neighborhoods, and who have poor health care access. Recent Findings First, we describe the limited evidence for cannabis to manage pain and pain-related sleep impairment. Second, we highlight how research might exacerbate health inequities due to systematic biases in the...

Abstract Cancer pain (CP) is a prevalent condition with limited pharmacotherapeutic options. Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) have shown analgesic effects, but their efficacy in CP remains contentious. This study aims to evaluate the change in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and adverse events (AEs) in CP patients treated with CBMPs. A case series was conducted using prospectively collected clinical data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Primary outcomes were the changes in the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), pain visual analogue scale (Pain-VAS), EQ-5D-5L, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) and Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) questionnaires from baseline to 1, 3,...