Photo: GUILLERMO LEGARIA / AFP / Getty Images
By: The Opinion Updated 12 Dec 2022, 20: 20 pm EST
From the legalization of its use and consumption in various parts of the world, the marijuana has begun to be used more and more as an option to deal with intense pain; however, a study reveals that many times the success of this therapy could be due to the placebo effect.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden discovered that taking placebos experiencing the same level of pain relief than those who used substances cannabinoids active.
The study is based on an analysis of published clinical studies comparing cannabis with placebo for the treatment of clinical pain. The change in pain intensity before and after treatment was the main outcome measure of the study.
Results of study published in JAMA Network Open show that pain is rated as significantly less intense after treatment with placebo , with an effect between moderate and large.
“There is a response to placebo distinct and clinically relevant in studies of cannabis for pain,” says study first author Filip Gedin, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, in the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
Researchers also observed differences in pain reduction between cannabis and placebo, corroborating the results of another recently published meta-analysis.
Results are from a review by 20 clinical studies examining the benefits of marijuana use for pain relief , in which more than 1.80 people participated.
Media attention
Researchers say that even though marijuana has the same results as placebo, these studies receive significant media coverage regardless of the clinical result.
“We see that the Cannabis studies are often described in positive terms in the media, regardless of their results”, Gedin points out.
The researcher considers this positive media attention can infl uir in the expectations of patients and cause side effects.
“This is problematic and can influence expectations when it is about the effects of cannabis therapy on pain. The greater the supposed benefit of a treatment, the more potential harm can be tolerated”, declared Gedin.
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