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Marijuana’s therapeutic effects for chronic pain patients have been shown. Cannabis has been shown to help reduce inflammation and muscle pain and ease neuropathic pain, as well as assist pain patients achieve a better night’s sleep. Dosing, on the other hand, is far from standardized.

A 2018 study suggested that three puffs a day from an inhaler would keep the pain away. Meanwhile, a study from earlier this year reported that 70 per cent to 90 per cent of legal cannabis products contain THC levels too strong for effective, long-term pain relief. Now, a new clinical trial may offer more rigorous answers in treating complex pain conditions.

A study led by a team of Israeli scientists, published earlier recently in the European Journal of Pain, found precise doses of THC administered via inhaler were effective in reducing pain in neuropathy patients. The randomized placebo-controlled study divided 27 chronic pain patients into three groups: One group received a 1 mg THC dose, the second was given a 0.5 mg THC dose and the third had a placebo.