# Medical marijuana for neuropathy - studies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588 "2017-06-22T06:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Azile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Azile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azile)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/1 "2017-06-22T06:00:41Z")
Disclaimer: not asking for medical advice, just for information. My mother has peripheral neuropathy in one foot, so bad that it keeps her awake at night. She takes prescription medication, but it doesn’t always help and she doesn’t like the side effects. Living in the great state of California, we can’t escape hearing about how medical cannabis is the new great panacea. Seems like you can name any ailment and there’s a product to treat it. That’s all very well and good for the dispensaries, but mom’s a hard sell and needs real facts before she tries something nontraditional. I know there’s _some_ research showing that THC works for _some_ conditions. Has there been any research as to its effectiveness on nerve pain? Do any dopers have any personal experience in the matter? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/2 "2017-06-22T07:54:48Z")
Sure, e.g. [this meta analysis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26362106), which looks like it’s a marginally effective for some people. [Another](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26505059). ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/3 "2017-06-23T00:32:29Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Sure, e.g. [this meta analysis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26362106), which looks like it’s a marginally effective for some people. > > [Another](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26505059). I’d say lay your hands on some and see if it helps. The stuff is (IMHO) harmless enough that the worst that happens is it doesn’t help. My sister in law has back problems and she swears by it. Another relative says it does nothing for her. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/4 "2017-06-23T00:50:53Z")
CBD is actually more effective for pain, although it often helps to have both. From the National Institute for Health in 2008; > **[Cannabinoids in the management of difficult to treat pain](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/)** > > This article reviews recent research on cannabinoid analgesia via the endocannabinoid system and non-receptor mechanisms, as well as randomized clinical trials employing cannabinoids in pain treatment. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol\[®\] ) and ... \*Sativex®, a cannabis derived oromucosal spray containing equal proportions of THC (partial CB1 receptor agonist ) and cannabidiol (CBD, a non-euphoriant, anti-inflammatory analgesic with CB1 receptor antagonist and endocannabinoid modulating effects) was approved in Canada in 2005 for treatment of central neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and in 2007 for intractable cancer pain. Numerous randomized clinical trials have demonstrated safety and efficacy for Sativex in central and peripheral neuropathic pain, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer pain. \* Most medical marijuana recommendations will be for an equal amount of THC and CBD, recommending that you pair a high THC strain with a high CBD strain if you don’t find one available with near equal levels of both. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/5 "2017-06-23T00:52:56Z")
And yes, I have personal experience with this. I am a Type II Diabetic with some neuropathic pain. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/6 "2017-06-23T15:12:21Z")
Anecdotal evidence: CBD is extremely effective on things which involve inflammation. Not myself, but my mother: CBD has demonstrably reduced her arthritic inflammation to the point where not only do her replaced hips not pain her, but she moves like a woman 15 years younger. Based on that admittedly anecdotal evidence, I’d suggest that a trial with CBD would be worthwhile. If it doesn’t work, well, you’ve lost very little. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/7 "2017-06-23T16:46:39Z")
> [@Tranquilis](#): > > Anecdotal evidence: CBD is extremely effective on things which involve inflammation. Not myself, but my mother: CBD has demonstrably reduced her arthritic inflammation to the point where not only do her replaced hips not pain her, but she moves like a woman 15 years younger. How do you know that it has reduced her arthritic inflammation? Pain reduction could instead be achieved through its analgesic effect. After all, a LOT of the causes of pain after total hip arthroplasty are _not_ related to inflammation but rather to degeneration or neuropathy or muscle spasm. While Cannabinoids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity, I’m still waiting to see how they compare in effectiveness to more traditional anti-inflammatories such as steroids or NSAIDs like ibuprofen and meloxicam and others. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/8 "2017-06-23T17:16:30Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > How do you know that it has reduced her arthritic inflammation? Pain reduction could instead be achieved through its analgesic effect. After all, a LOT of the causes of pain after total hip arthroplasty are _not_ related to inflammation but rather to degeneration or neuropathy or muscle spasm. > > While Cannabinoids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity, I’m still waiting to see how they compare in effectiveness to more traditional anti-inflammatories such as steroids or NSAIDs like ibuprofen and meloxicam and others. Sorry, should’ve included that: Medical imaging and physical exam for the confirmation. NSAIDs and steroids were countraindicated for her - tried, with bad results (side effects). ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/9 "2017-06-23T19:51:21Z")
_A new randomized, controlled study from the University of California at San Diego has shown that inhaling cannabis can blunt diabetic neuropathic pain for several hours. “We found that the more concentrated the dose, the more relief people got,” says lead author Mark Steven Wallace, MD, chair of the Division of Pain Management at the University of California, San Diego._ about the MD. > **[Mark Steven Wallace, MD - Pain Management | UC San Diego Health](https://providers.ucsd.edu/details/11631/pain-management-anesthesiology)** > > Mark Wallace, MD, is a board\\-certified anesthesiologist who specializes in multi\\-modal pain management. As a pain management specialist, he evaluates, diagnoses and treats all forms of pain, though most of his patients are affected by chronic... about the study. > **[Inhaled Cannabis Promising for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/848539)** > > A new study has shown that inhaled cannabis can blunt the pain of diabetic neuropathy without impairing cognitive function. There’s so much more to know though. Smoking, vaping, ingesting, or oils. High THC, or High CBD. Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? Mom probably doesn’t want the psychoactive part of the cannabis, and there’s ways to avoid that completely. THC will still be in her system, but the psychoactive parts are inactive due to the CBD. ---
**Author:** ![Azile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Azile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azile)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana-for-neuropathy-studies/789588/10 "2017-06-25T04:21:13Z")
It’s this level of thoughtful, helpful answers that keep me returning to the SDMB. Thank you, everyone!