For years, the cannabis industry has promised relief for chronic pain sufferers. But evidence has often lagged behind the hype. Now, a phase 3 clinical trial published in Nature Medicine has delivered the strongest proof yet that a cannabis extract can actually help, and experts are calling it a breakthrough.
The global burden of back pain
Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting more than half a billion people, according to the World Health Organization. Current treatments are limited: ibuprofen and other non-opioid painkillers often come with long-term risks, while opioids are both addictive and dangerous. For millions, options have been painfully thin.
Enter VER-01
The trial tested VER-01, a specially developed cannabis extract containing 2.5 mg of THC, 0.1 mg cannabigerol (CBG), and 0.02 mg cannabidiol (CBD) per dose. Over 800 people with chronic lower back pain – who had already failed to find relief with non-opioid drugs – were enrolled in the placebo-controlled study.
The results were striking. After 12 weeks, those taking VER-01 reported an average 1.9-point reduction in pain on a 10-point scale, compared to just 0.6 for placebo. After six months, pain reduction climbed to 2.9 points, alongside improved sleep, mobility, and quality of life.
Crucially, no serious side effects or addictive tendencies were observed. The most common issues were short-term dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, and mild nausea – all of which tended to diminish over time. “No feelings of being high were observed during the trial,” said lead author Matthias Karst, professor of pain medicine at Hannover Medical School.
As good as It gets
Independent experts are hailing the results. Andrew Moore, a former Oxford University pain researcher, described the study as “terrific … about as good as it gets.” He emphasised it as the first high-quality evidence that “something in the cannabis plant can be helpful for pain.”
Still, Moore urged caution about bold claims, reminding that past assurances around addictiveness have sometimes proven unreliable.
What this does not mean
The researchers are careful to stress that not all cannabis or CBD products are equal. VER-01 was developed specifically for regulatory approval, with precise dosing and controlled composition. As Karst notes, most cannabis products on the market “vary widely in potency, purity and other factors which make them difficult for doctors to safely prescribe.”
Pain researcher Jan Vollert put it even more bluntly: “Smoking cannabis and taking VER-01 are probably as similar as eating hazelnuts and eating Nutella. They might share a similar basis, but they just are not comparable.”
That said, low and consistent doses of cannabis aren’t the exclusive domain of lab-research. At home, one can approximate modest dosing via a dry-herb vaporiser or by taking measured small hits from a joint.
We at High & Polite have covered this extensively – from protocol guides to anecdotal patient reports. We’ve also reported on multiple clinical and translational studies indicating benefits from low-dose THC, especially in pain, sleep, and mood regulation. What those publications underline is that it’s not “more is better”.
Further reading:
- Guide: How To Microdose Cannabis (Benefits, Methods, Results)
- Low Doses Of THC May Help PTSD Patients Handle Their Emotions, Study Finds
- How Low-Doses Of THC May Boost Brain Health, Ease Pain, and Slow Ageing
- 75-Year-Old Successfully Treats Alzheimer’s Symptoms With Microdoses Of THC
- THC Microdoses May Help Treat Alzheimer’s Symptoms
What’s next?
If approved, VER-01 could become the first cannabis-derived medicine prescribed for chronic back pain, offering a safer alternative to opioids and a more effective option than ibuprofen.
But the bigger implication is cultural: for years, patients and advocates have claimed cannabis helps with pain, while critics demanded “gold standard” evidence. Now, the gold is on the table.
The trial doesn’t validate every claim made by the cannabis industry, but it does mark a turning point. For the first time, science, medicine, and cannabis may be speaking the same language on pain relief.
Sign up to our free newsletter below, and we’ll send you a weekly update on all things weed in the UK – as well as our guide to accessing medical cannabis in the UK.
