Medical Marijuana For Chronic Pain: University Of Michigan Conducting More Studies

Researchers at the University of Michigan, MoreBetter (Releaf App), LEVEL and Overcome announced they are recruiting California residents to participate in a 12-week study focusing on the efficacy of different cannabinoid capsules and tablets for managing chronic pain "related to Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, and overall quality of life."

Researchers aim to address the significant gaps in cannabinoid research related to efficacy for specific types of chronic pain, different product formulations and dosing. According to a press release, “normalizing the product type to tablets and capsules,” this study is the first one “to look at efficacy trends related to dosing combined with unique product formulations.”

This study also seeks to help patients and practitioners better understand how to use cannabinoid medicine as a natural and effective therapy in that there are upwards of 40 million people living with these conditions and even more who are struggling with chronic pain.

Calling California Medical Cannabis Users

Eligible California residents interested in participating in this study can do so from home using their smartphones and answering standardized questionnaires about pain and quality of life.

"Enrolled participants will receive a 12-week supply of LEVEL and Overcome study products," reads a press release. Moreover, the study's delivery partner, FLOWER CO, a California licensed delivery company will be in charge of delivering the study products to the participants.

Participants who complete the study can receive up to $500 in Amazon AMZN gift cards. Register at releaf.at/umpain.

Researchers Concur

Daniel Kruger, Ph.D., the study’s principal investigator said “pain is one of the most common conditions people use medical cannabis to treat, adding that the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that cannabis is effective in pain relief.

According to Kruger, this conclusion “is just the beginning...we need more research to optimize pain relief with cannabis. This cross-sector partnership is critical for overcoming regulatory barriers to cannabis research and enhancing trust by including independent academic researchers.”

Tyler Dautrich, COO of MoreBetter Ltd., the company behind Releaf App., said that “data shows cannabinoids are effective at helping individuals manage or reduce chronic pain, however, there is little data on what specific formulation, administration form, and the dose is most efficacious.”

He calls the study important "because by normalizing the administration form we can more accurately monitor dosing regimens leading to better insights on condition-specific efficacy as it relates to product formulation.”
Chris Emerson, Ph.D. and Founder and CEO of LEVEL said “cannabinoids have a myriad of therapeutic properties, and we’re just starting to define their positive impact on human health.” He added that LEVEL is “conducting research, pushing the scientific boundaries, and driving consumer education about cannabinoids, which facilitates our unique approach to developing innovative cannabis products (...) Leveraging real-world clinical evidence on the potential health benefits of cannabis will shape the future of the industry, and LEVEL is excited to participate in this important work.”

Annie Rouse, founder of Overcome said that given their formulary research, they are confident that their product “will help the patients in the study overcome pain and inflammation and we look forward to the feedback provided.”

Finally, Ted Lichtenberger, CEO of FLOWER CO. said that they're excited to “give back to the community by enabling this study so that science can catch up to how impactful cannabis can be."
Photo: Courtesy Of Dominik Lange On Unsplash