WASHINGTON (AP) — An experimental medication made from marijuana successfully reduced back pain in a new study, offering further support for the drug’s potential in treating one of the most common forms of chronic pain.
The 800-patient study by a German drugmaker is the latest evidence of the therapeutic properties of cannabis, which remains illegal under U.S. federal law even as most states have made it available for medical or recreational use.
Health officials in Canada and Europe have previously approved a pharmaceutical-grade form of cannabis for several types of pain, including nerve pain due to multiple sclerosis. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug containing CBD — one of the many non-intoxicating chemicals found in cannabis — to treat rare seizures in children with epilepsy.
Unlike that drug, known as Epidiolex, the new cannabis formula from drugmaker Vertanical contains THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that gets users high. But levels of the chemical are very low, essentially a microdose compared to what’s available in gummies, chocolate bars and other products sold at marijuana dispensaries in the U.S. The company said patients in the trial didn’t show any signs of drug abuse, dependence or withdrawal.
Driving is not recommended during the first few weeks of taking the drug, although the company said the decision of whether to drive was ultimately left to patients.
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