Cannabis-based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews January 19, 2026 Gülay Ateş, Patrick Welsch, Petra Klose et al. 5 citations
Chronic pain with a nerve-damage component affects 6–10% of the population, and current drugs help only a minority. Cannabis is widely promoted as a treatment. This updated Cochrane review analyzed 21 randomized, double-blind trials with 2,187 adults suffering from chronic neuropathic pain. For THC-dominant cannabis, there was no clear evidence of at least 50% pain relief or meaningful improvement on a global scale, though nervous system side effects (e.g., dizziness, drowsiness) were increased. Balanced THC/CBD medicines may slightly increase global improvement ratings and pain relief of at least 30%, but these effects were not clinically meaningful and also raised the risk of side effects.