A medicine made of marijuana reduced back pain in a large study

Washington (AP) – An experimental medication made from marijuana has successfully reduced back pain in a new study, providing further support for the potential of the drug to treat one of the most common forms of chronic pain. The 800-patient study by a German drug manufacturer is the latest evidence of Cannabis therapeutic properties, which remains illegal under US federal legislation, even though most countries have made it available for medical or recreational use. Health officials in Canada and Europe have previously approved a pharmaceutical form of cannabis for different types of pain, including nervous pain due to multiple sclerosis. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a medicine that contains CBD-one of the many non-in-intestine chemicals found in cannabis, to treat rare attacks in children with epilepsy. Unlike that drug, known as epidiilex, the new cannabis formula of drug manufacturer Vertanical THC contains the active ingredient in marijuana that gets users high. But the levels of the chemicals are very low, essentially a microdosage compared to what is available in gummies, chocolate bars and other products sold at marijuana dispensives in the US, the company said patients in the trial showed no signs of drug abuse, dependence or withdrawal. Vertanical is looking for approval for a large group of patients: those suffering from lower-back pain, a chronic condition that affects millions and has few proven treatments. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen cannot be used for long-term pain due to their side effects, which include ulcers and digestion. Opioids are no longer recommended, after the oversight of painkillers such as Oxycontin in the 1990s and 2000s, this has led to the ongoing epidemic of addiction to that class of drugs. Chronic pain is one of the most cited conditions of people enrolled in state-run medical marijuana programs. But there was little strict research on the use of the medicine in that group. Dr. Matthias Karst, a chief study writer, said in an email that the new findings show that cannabis can “reduce pain and improve physical function in patients with chronic low-back pain, without the safety issues who are regularly associated with opioids.” Karst is a pain specialist at Hannover Medical School and a consultant for Vertanical. For the new study, patients with back pain were randomly assigned to take Vertanical’s own liquid cannabis extract or a placebo. At the end of 12 weeks, patients taking the medication reported an almost 2-point reduction in pain at an 11-point scale, compared to 1.4 points for those taking placebo. The difference was statistically significant. Those who get the drug also reported improvements to sleep and physical function. Patients who continued with an extension phase of six months still experienced the reduction of pain. The results were published in the journal Nature on Monday. Side effects included dizziness, headaches, fatigue and nausea and led to more than 17% of people stopping the drug early. Researchers have said that the dropout rate was lower than typically reported with opioids, which can cause constipation, nausea, drowsiness and the risk of addiction. Vertanical has filed an application for its drug with European regulators. In the US, the company says it ‘works closely’ with regulators to design a study to support FDA approval. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Division receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is exclusively responsible for all content.