Cannabinoids are pharmacological agents of endogenous (endocannabinoids), botanical (phytocannabinoids), or synthetic origin; Cannabinoids alleviate pain through a variety ofreceptor and non-receptor mechanisms including
direct analgesic and anti-in fl ammatory effects,
modulatory actions on neurotransmitters, and interactions with endogenous and administered opioids; Cannabinoid agents are currently available in various
countries for pain treatment, and even cannabinoids of
botanical origin may be approvable by FDA, although
this is distinctly unlikely for smoked cannabis; An impressive body of literature supports cannabinoid
analgesia, and recently, this has been supplemented
by an increasing number of phase I–III clinical trials.
