Chronic pain is a public health issue which continues to impact millions of people around the world. Opioid analgesics remain the gold standard treatment for chronic pain issues, despite the short-term symptom relief, and risk of developing opioid use disorder or overdose. Due to these issues with opioid analgesics, there is a need for alternative treatments. Preclinical and clinical data suggest cannabinoids may enhance opioid treatment. Cannabidiol (CBD) is an endocannabinoid modulator of cannabinoid receptors with potential analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Whereas cannabis has depressant, stimulant, and hallucinogenic effects, CBD has not been found to be psychoactive. In higher concentrations CBD can elicit sedating effects, although lower concentrations may increase alertness. In the current study we are investigating cannabidiol alone and in combination with morphine, using a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design over 3 sessions. On each of three sessions healthy participants receive a dose of morphine (0mg, 15mg, and 30mg) followed by vaporized cannabis containing cannabidiol (9.7%). Participant’s hot, cold, and pressure pain tolerance is measured throughout each session at different timepoints. This is an on-going study in which we hypothesize that the CBD and morphine interaction will increase pain tolerance.

Investigating the effects of morphine and cannabidiol on pain sensitivity

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.