Smoked cannabis has been shown to alleviate chronic neuropathic pain caused by trauma or surgery.

Researchers at McGill University Health Centre provided 21 participants aged 25 to 77 with cannabis of varying strengths. When inhaled in low doses three times a day, the stronger cannabisäóîcontaining 9.4% of the active ingredient THCäóîwas shown to provide modest pain reduction, reduce anxiety and give users better sleep compared with individuals using lower-strength cannabis or placebo.

This is among the first studies to determine the analgesic qualities of cannabis for treating chronic neuropathic pain, and the first to allow patients to smoke cannabis at home and monitor their reactions to the drug.

The report appears in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Source: McKnights