Tucson, AZ: The administration of select cannabis plant terpenes produces analgesic effects comparable to morphine, according to preclinical data published in The Journal of the Association for the Study of Pain.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Arizona and the National Institutes of Health assessed the pain-relieving effects of various cannabis terpenes – geraniol, linalool, β-pinene, α-humulene, and β-caryophyllene – in a mouse model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
They reported that each of the selected terpenes “produced roughly equal antinociception to 10 mg/kg of morphine.” The co-administration of low doses of terpenes and morphine produced “enhanced” analgesic effects.
“Together these studies identify cannabis terpenes as potential therapeutics for chronic neuropathic pain,” investigators concluded.
A 2018 clinical trial by researchers at Columbia University previously demonstrated that the co-administration of inhaled cannabis and sub-therapeutic doses of oxycodone produces heightened pain-relieving effects in humans. The results of another clinical trial similarly determined that vaporized cannabis interacts synergistically with opioids and “may allow for opioid treatment at lower doses with fewer side effects.” Observational studies consistently show that patients who consume cannabis reduce or eliminate their use of prescription opioids over time.
Other recent studies have also shown that terpenes can modulate the effects of various cannabinoids. For example, a preclinical study published in April reported that the coadministration of CBD and β-caryophyllene produces enhanced anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, clinical data published in March determined the co-administration of THC and the terpene D-limonene is associated with reduced feelings of THC-induced anxiety.
The results of a 2023 study found that patients are more likely to report greater symptom relief after consuming cannabis flowers that contain elevated levels of terpenes.
Full text of the study, “Terpenes from cannabis sativa induce antinociception in a mouse model of chronic neuropathic pain via activation of adenosine A2a receptors,” appears in The Journal of the Association for the Study of Pain. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’
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