Can medical cannabis help chronic pain patients taper off opioids?
NCT ID NCT04827992
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at whether adding medical cannabis to a behavioral program helps adults with long-term non-cancer pain lower their opioid dose and manage pain better. 87 participants on stable, high-dose opioids were randomly assigned to either start medical cannabis or not, while all received weekly group support for tapering opioids over 24 weeks. The goal was to see if cannabis use leads to reduced opioid use and improved pain scores.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- medical cannabis
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a way to reduce opioid doses while managing chronic pain, potentially lowering addiction risk.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, completed trial with only 87 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and cannabis use carries its own risks like dependency or side effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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87 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2021
- Finished
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Oct 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Men and women aged 18-75, inclusive. 2. Endorsing \> 6 months of chronic, non-cancer pain. 3. On stable prescription opioid doses of 25 MME or greater for \>90 days, verified by the Prescription Monitoring Program. 4. Either no prior use or current light cannabis use (weekly or less in the past 12 months). 5. Plans to use medical cannabis for pain to control pain and/or reduce opioid dose. 6. Competent and willing to provide written informed consent in English. 7. Potential participants of childbearing potential must not be pregnant at enrollment. They will be asked to self-report pregnancy status and the start date of their most recent menstrual period and agree to use effective contraception: abstinence; hormonal contraception; intra-uterine device, sterilization; or double barrier contraception, during the study. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current cannabis use (including inhaled or ingested CBD products) of greater than weekly on average in the past 12 months, assessed via self-report (no more than 10 times in the past 90 days). 2. Current cannabis use disorder; current moderate to severe substance use disorder for any substance by structured interview, EXCEPT nicotine and opioids (OUD). 3. Current uncontrolled major medical illness, such as cancer, symptomatic hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism or severe respiratory compromise. 4. Use of non-prescribed opioids, by self-report. 5. Dose change or initiation of medications with significant analgesic effects (e.g., tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, gabapentin, NSAIDs) in the past 4 weeks. 6. Concomitant medications will be discussed at each study visit, and any medications that may interact with cannabinoids (e.g., warfarin) will be discussed with a study clinician prior to enrollment or continued participation. 7. Actively suicidal and/or suicide attempt or psychiatric hospitalization in past year, or current suicidal ideation with specific plan or intent. 8. History of intellectual disability (e.g., Down's syndrome) or other severe developmental disorder or IQ \< 70. 9. Current diagnosis of delirium, dementia, amnestic, or other cognitive disorder; current diagnosis of bipolar II disorder; lifetime diagnosis of bipolar I disorder, schizophrenia spectrum, or other psychotic disorder. 10. Surgery within the past month or planned during the next 6 months. 11. Pregnant or trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding. 12. In the opinion of the investigator or study physicians, not able to complete study procedures or safely participate in this study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cambridge Health Alliance
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, United States
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Maine Medical Center
Portland, Maine, 04102, United States
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Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114-2523, United States
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