Terpenes Show Promise as Pain Relievers Based on New Research

Start a discussion on medical cannabis as a chronic pain treatment and most people will instantly start thinking about the two main cannabinoids in cannabis plants: THC and CBD. But new research indicates that cannabis terpenes could prove even more important in the fight against chronic pain.

THC and CBD are known to have pain relieving properties. But a growing body of evidence suggests their efficacy pain is limited. That begs the question of why so many medical cannabis users claim to find significant relief with the use of the plant or products derived from it. The answer could lie in cannabis terpenes.

No Laughing Matter

Chronic pain is no laughing matter according to the healthcare professionals at Utahmarijuana.org. They explain that chronic pain is the condition most often treated by state-legal medical cannabis. The total number of medical cannabis users who cite chronic pain as their qualifying condition is 80-97% depending on which studies you choose to believe.

Regardless of the actual numbers, the point is that as many as 20% of the adult population experiences chronic pain at least once in a lifetime. A good many of them experience debilitating pain that robs them of a normal life. Traditional medical treatments including prescription painkillers and surgical procedures do very little. What is left after that?

Medical cannabis has come to the rescue for millions of patients in thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia. According to Utahmarijuana.org representatives, it is not unusual for chronic pain patients to report finding a level of relief with medical cannabis they never experienced with any other treatment. That says something.

Why the Terpene Question Is Important

Understanding just how prevalent chronic pain is takes us back to the question of whether terpenes relieve pain better than THC and CBD. Remember that THC is the intoxicating cannabinoid found in cannabis plants. Its psychoactive properties are the main reason marijuana has been a banned substance in the U.S. since the 1970s.

Dozens of states have embraced medical cannabis as a chronic pain treatment. Nearly all of the medications used for that purpose include THC. But what if terpenes proved more effective? They could replace THC as the main active ingredient in cannabis-derived pain medications.

The Latest Research

Terpenes were the main subject of research recently published in the PAIN journal. A team of researchers representing both the University of Arizona and the National Institutes of Health studied the impacts of five specific terpenes using laboratory mice. The studied terpenes were as follows:

• Alpha-humulene.
• Beta-caryophyllene.
• Beta-pinene.
• Geraniol.
• Linalool.

You may already be familiar with these terpenes if you are into essential oils. Terpenes are the compounds in plant life that give different plants and trees their distinct odors. There are more than a hundred of them in cannabis plants.

For their research, the team relied on mice experiencing chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. Using this model was a way to mimic chronic pain in human beings. After being injected with the chemotherapy drug, the mice were then given one of the terpenes, morphine, or a combination of both. Each mouse subject was then monitored for changes in pain sensitivity.

Ultimately, each of the five terpenes demonstrated significant pain relief. They were as effective as morphine. As an added bonus, terpene side effects were both minimal and easily managed. And unlike treating with morphine, there were no addiction risks with the terpenes.

Perhaps medical cannabis patients who find relief are getting it more from the terpenes then either THC or CBD. That would be interesting if proved true.