A new review of real world data suggests medicinal cannabis works for cancer pain. 

Medicinal cannabis can safely relieve cancer pain, while curbing the total number of meds and opioids taken, suggest the results of a multicentre registry study. 

Medicinal cannabis with a balanced mix of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) can be highly effective in relieving cancer pain, according to the study.

Researchers followed 358 adults with cancer over the course of a year and found that THC:CBD balanced products were associated with better pain relief than THC-dominant or CBD-dominant products. 

Medicinal cannabis was also found to be safe and well-tolerated, with only 15 moderate to severe side effects reported by 11 patients, two of which were deemed serious and unlikely to be linked to medicinal cannabis. 

Cancer pain is a significant problem for patients, with over half of those undergoing anticancer treatment and two-thirds of those with advanced or terminal disease experiencing it. 

Powerful opioids, along with other medications, are usually prescribed for pain relief, but a third of patients still experience pain and suffer from side effects such as nausea, sleepiness, constipation, and respiratory depression. 

The researchers wanted to find out if medicinal cannabis could safely and effectively relieve cancer pain while reducing the number of medications and opioids taken. 

They found that THC:CBD balanced products were the most effective in relieving pain and reducing the total number of drugs taken. 

The total number of drugs taken fell consistently at all quarterly check-ups, while opioid use fell over the first three check-ups. 

Although the study was observational and could not establish cause, the researchers believe that medicinal cannabis could be a safe and complementary treatment option for patients with cancer who don't get adequate pain relief from conventional analgesics such as opioids. 

The study was conducted using data from the Quebec Cannabis Registry in Canada over a period of 3.5 years, from May 2015 to October 2018. 

Patients' pain intensity, symptoms, total number of drugs taken, and daily morphine consumption were monitored quarterly for a year. Medicinal cannabis was found to be safe and well-tolerated, with only 5 patients stopping treatment because of side effects. 

The researchers noted that the close supervision of healthcare professionals who authorised, directed, and monitored treatment contributed to the good safety profile of medicinal cannabis found in the study. 

Despite some limitations, the researchers believe that their data suggest a role for medicinal cannabis as a safe and complementary treatment option in patients with cancer who are not getting adequate pain relief from conventional analgesics.

The full study is accessible here.