Ekspertudvalg har lavet et kritisk og systematisk review af den eksisterende forskning omkring cannabis og smerter.
Et ekspertudvalg nedsat af International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) har igennem to et halvt år lavet et kritisk og systematisk review af den eksisterende forskning omkring cannabis og smerte. En stor gruppe af verdens førende smerteforskere medvirkede til dette review, herunder også Prof. Nanna Finnerup fra Aarhus Universitet og Prof. Lars Arendt-Nielsen fra Aalborg Universitet. IASP konkluderer at der ikke er tilstrækkelig klinisk bevis for sikkerhed og effektivitet af cannabis til smertebehandling, og kan derfor på nuværende tidspunkt ikke anbefale cannabis til smertebehandling. Samtidig erkender IASP, at der mangler kliniske studier og uddannelse på området:
”There is not enough high-quality human clinical safety and efficacy evidence to allow IASP to endorse the general use of cannabis and cannabinoids for pain at this time. Laboratory research on a wide variety of cannabinoids holds promise for effective pain relief, but most have not yet been tested in pain patients. More stringent regulatory safeguards, standards, and controls on production, marketing, and labeling are recommended to ensure the public is adequately informed and protected. The Task Force also identified a number of gaps in the evidence. A research agenda has been published that sets the priorities for closing these gaps. These priorities include identifying the characteristics of patients with pain who may receive the most benefit from cannabis or cannabinoids, and those who may experience the most harm. It is also necessary to expand the range of chemical entities tested, identify appropriate doses and their effects, and determine optimal delivery methods. Including patient partners on research teams is recommended.
While IASP cannot endorse general use of cannabis or cannabinoids for pain at this time, this is not intended to dismiss the lived experiences of people with pain who have found benefit from their use. IASP recognizes that reducing chronic pain and its impact on function, health, and quality of life will likely require a combination of approaches, sometimes including, but not restricted to, medications. These approaches will vary according to the specific needs of each individual. This is not a door closing on the topic, but rather a call for more rigorous and robust research to better understand any potential
benefits and harms related to the use of cannabis for pain relief, and to ensure the safety of patients and the public through regulatory standards and safeguards.”
Læs mere om ekspertudvalget her. Resultaterne af det systematisk review er publiceret i PAIN (link).