Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

New Harvard Study Examines Impact Of Medical Cannabis Treatment For Chronic Pain

Pain management is one of the top reasons why people use medical cannabis.
Pain management is one of the top reasons why people use medical cannabis.
Image by Michael Moriarty from Pixabay
Bluntness Editorial
By Bluntness EditorialApr 13, 2021
Bluntness Editorial
The Bluntness Editorial Staff is dedicated to bring you the many stories of cannabis culture - stories that speak to the enthusiast and expert in an unfiltered but factual manner. Everyday, our writers brings you deeply insightful and honest perspectives from all corners of the cannabis world, including some you may not expect.
See Full Bio
Follow:

This article was originally published by Jelena Martinovic at Benzinga on Apr 12, 2021, and appears here with permission.

Cannabis treatment can significantly help with chronic pain, according to a new study conducted by Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Boston. 

Thirty-seven patients enrolled in the study with various chronic pain conditions such as neuropathy, joint pain and arthritis, reports Pain News Network. The group was observed for six months while taking cannabis products.

Patients had either never used cannabis or sustained from using it for a minimum of one year prior to the research.

The study revealed that those who used medical cannabis daily for six months experienced notable advancements in their overall health status: less pain and anxiety, better sleep and mood.

What’s more, patient usage of opioids dropped by 13% and 23% on average after three and six months of medical cannabis treatment, respectively.

The drop in opioid usage wasn't enough to be marked as fundamental, the report said. 

“This naturalistic study of medical cannabis (MC) patients with chronic pain provides preliminary evidence that ‘real world’ MC treatment may be a viable alternative or adjunctive treatment for a least some individuals with chronic pain,” wrote lead author Staci Gruber, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. 

“As results also revealed that individual cannabinoids appear to exert unique effects on pain and comorbid symptoms, more research is needed to potentially optimize cannabinoid-based treatments for pain.”

THC For Pain Relief, CBD For Mood Enhancement

The study found that higher THC consumption was connected to pain relief, while CBD intake was related to mood improvement.

“Interestingly, we have found that many patients aim to achieve symptom alleviation without experiencing the intoxicating effects of THC. Therefore, it is likely that patients are able to achieve adequate pain relief using lower doses of THC over time than initially utilized,” said Gruber, who heads the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery program at McLean Hospital.

The study ran a control group with nine patients also suffering from chronic pain who didn’t use medical cannabis, and the group did not show a similar improvement, according to Pain News Network.

In conclusion, the researchers said more research and larger studies are needed to confirm the findings and further explore further the effects THC and CBD have on pain and mood.

Are you still missing out on The Bluntness newsletter? Sign Up today to stay in the loop.

The Latest

image with logos for several legal cannabis brands, media and organizations in NY
News

NYCRA's 4th Annual Event in Brooklyn!

gif of actor Kevin James from King of Queens; asking "How Much Does That Cost?"
Industry

How Much Does Cannabis Actually Cost in 2026? The Complete Price Guide by State and Quantity

More For You

11 Signs You've Greened Out and How to Handle It - The Bluntness

11 Signs You've Greened Out and How to Handle It - The Bluntness

11 Signs You’ve Greened Out and How to Handle It

The term ‘greening out’ is a colloquial phrase for when somebody consumes too much cannabis. Yes, our body has a limit to which it can accommodate cannabis/cannabinoids especially THC. With doses that are too large or too frequent, cannabis starts producing some adverse side effects. Understanding the potency of different cannabis strains is crucial, as specific strains can have varying levels of THC, which significantly impacts the likelihood of experiencing negative effects like greening out.

Many regular cannabis consumers will know what it’s like to feel greened out, however the ordeal can be quite overwhelming for newcomers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ayrloom Orchard Sunrise Review: The Best Cannabis Gummies in New York - The Bluntness

Ayrloom Orchard Sunrise Review: The Best Cannabis Gummies in New York - The Bluntness

Top Cannabis Gummies in NY

The Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard, located in Lafayette, New York, has been a family-owned business since its inception in 1911. Over the past century, the Beak & Skiff family has demonstrated their unwavering commitment to agriculture and their community by continuously expanding and evolving their business to meet the moment and change with the times.

The orchard began as a small apple farm, but over time, the Beak & Skiff family has expanded their operations to include a retail store, a distillery, a hemp farm and now a vertically integrated cannabis cultivation, manufacturing & distribution operation. Throughout this evolution, their commitment to sustainable agriculture has remained a top priority.

Keep ReadingShow less
CBD honey sticks are a great idea, according to research.
CBD honey sticks are a great idea, according to research.

Sweet Medicine: 10 Benefits of CBD Honey Sticks

What are CBD honey sticks, and how are they prepared?

CBD honey sticks refer to honey infused with pure CBD over low heat and packaged in a straw-like tube. They are an innovative way to introduce CBD into our bodies without dealing with the smell and taste of CBD oils. 

Unlike oils, CBD-infused foods like CBD honey sticks may come in different flavors, making CBD administration fun. Apart from serving as easy-to-use CBD products, edibles like CBD honey sticks come in handy in delivering an accurate dose of CBD while combining the therapeutic effects of CBD and honey in one product. 

Keep ReadingShow less
Need to flush the THC out of your body in a hurry? It's helpful to know what you can try and what to avoid.
Need to flush the THC out of your body in a hurry? It's helpful to know what you can try and what to avoid.

Top 10 Ways to Cleanse Your System of THC

This helpful article is sponsored by the pros at Pass Your Test.

If you're on this page, then there is a good chance you're looking for ways to cleanse your system of THC before a test. Despite gaining additional legal access in many states, consumers in the U.S. still have to worry about losing everything, from their job to their family, if caught with pot. Thankfully, there are methods to passing a drug test, even if consuming cannabis. 

Keep ReadingShow less
Weed Makes Me Introspective: When Cannabis Causes Us to Reconsider Our Life Choices

Weed Makes Me Introspective: When Cannabis Causes Us to Reconsider Our Life Choices

Pot Prompts Self-Reflection

Being stoned comes with a wealth of side effects – some of which are just part of the fun, while others have been known to get smeared all over a person’s psyche, causing them to gawk out the window every thirty seconds to see if the cops are coming up the stairs.

Perhaps the least discussed byproduct of the bud, however, is its uncanny ability to send the user into a maddening state of introspection. Cannabis can make individuals more attuned to their bodily sensations, emotions, and inner thoughts, which can contribute to this introspective state. Weed can often inspire the high-minded to start questioning their life choices, setting them on a path of self-doubt, self-loathing, and self-destruction.

Keep ReadingShow less